please help with choosing suite on Explorer

I'd hoped that when the new itineraries were out, I'd find something attractive and suitable on Voyager or Mariner (we can't travel to the far-off destinations anymore). Alas, the itinerary that has way and above the most appeal is on Explorer. While I have been mightily turned off by all the hype, by all the mentions of exclusivity and 1%'ers, etc., if we can manage to afford the Copenhagen-Oslo cruise, I'd like to do it.

I know that in order to be as pleased with our suite as we've always been on "G" suites on those other wonderful Regent ships, we need to go up to "F" category. But I am confused about these Explorer suites because unlike on the other two ships, there seems to be variance within the categories. E.g. some have larger balconies? some different furniture configurations? no doubt other differences? So here's the question:

If we actually manage to swing this thing, I'm hoping to learn which cabin to book. Big difference between F1 and F2? I'd rather the lesser $$ if they're pretty much the same. (The G cabins on Voyager and Mariner suit us just fine.) Main thing: Which specific cabin should I try to book? Or am I mistaken about differences among them?

Thanks a whole bunch.

Poss it kind of looks like a location deal between the F1 and F2 cabins really. They appear to have the exact same layout as the concierge cabins but a smaller balcony. Obviously I have not been on Explorer as yet so I am sure someone with past cruise may help you.

If you are coming the distance you are from US would you prefer a pre cruise hotel stay and would it be more cost effective to book the concierge cabin for that inclusion? There is a lot to take into consideration. Hope you can find an itinerary that suits you both . Jean.

We love the F1/F2 suites and the only difference between those and the concierge suites is the balcony (but the balcony in the F1/F2 suites is just fine - it is the difference of having two great chairs and a table or a chaise lounge, a chair and a table). I would not pay extra for the balcony size.

One consideration is the pre-cruise hotel that is not included in F1/F2 suites.

I think that you will be pleasantly surprised with the Explorer - especially with the dining choices and open spaces.

Poss, if you can wait until mid-July, I'll give you a first-hand report on the differences between an E and an F2. :)

Generally, I wouldn't pay the upcharge to move from an F to an E or D, but we chose to pay the extra for an E on our Baltic cruise coming up simply for the pre-cruise hotel and discounts on wine and excursions.

For us, the decision comes down to who we're traveling with and sailing dates, flights, etc. I wouldn't pay the extra charge just for the larger balcony and other 'goodies' (Illy espresso machine, binoculars, blanket, etc).

I think you'd be happy in either one, so let your specific needs and your budget be your guide.

Poss,

As others have said, the F1 and the F2 suites are identical inside. The difference is the location and, possibly, the balcony size. Some F1's have a larger balcony although the midship F1's have the smaller balcony. With a couple of exceptions, the F2's have the smaller balcony. Note though that the smaller balconies on Explorer are larger than the standard balconies on Voyager and Mariner.

I suggest you go with an F2 and book either 816, 817, 911 or 912. These F2's have a larger balcony than the other F2's because they are partially on the forward hump or wing on the Explorer. Their balconies are sized between the standard large and small balconies on the ship. I've booked 912 on our upcoming cruise in August so I've put my money where my mouth is. :D

Hope this helps.

P.S. The four suites I suggested tend to be snapped up early so don't wait too long to book.

The difference as others have mentioned is the location. Our favorite cabin on our cruises was 732, it was an F2 when we booked it but now it's been upgraded to a F1. I like that area of the ship because the front has 4 elevators thus no waiting where aft has only 2.

Go with your budget....just don't chose an H or G, they're too small for a couple IMO. BTW, our balcony was plenty large enough for us and we spent lots of time on it, ate breakfast there many mornings with the nice size balcony tables on the Explorer.

Good luck Poss.

Good point Marcie. Also, the aft elevators do not go to deck 4 which is where CR is. This is mainly a problem for people that have difficulty walking or with stairs.

Poss,

 

As others have said, the F1 and the F2 suites are identical inside. The difference is the location and, possibly, the balcony size. Some F1's have a larger balcony although the midship F1's have the smaller balcony. With a couple of exceptions, the F2's have the smaller balcony. Note though that the smaller balconies on Explorer are larger than the standard balconies on Voyager and Mariner.

 

I suggest you go with an F2 and book either 816, 817, 911 or 912. These F2's have a larger balcony than the other F2's because they are partially on the forward hump or wing on the Explorer. Their balconies are sized between the standard large and small balconies on the ship. I've booked 912 on our upcoming cruise in August so I've put my money where my mouth is. :D

 

Hope this helps.

 

P.S. The four suites I suggested tend to be snapped up early so don't wait too long to book.

We tried to book all these suites for our upcoming cruise this year. We booked whilst on the Mariner in October last year and all the cabins were already booked 11 months ahead. I guess we all saw how good these suites looked. I agree, book the suite you want in advance so as not to disappoint.

We tried to book all these suites for our upcoming cruise this year. We booked whilst on the Mariner in October last year and all the cabins were already booked 11 months ahead. I guess we all saw how good these suites looked. I agree, book the suite you want in advance so as not to disappoint.

I'm sorry you didn't get one of these four F2's, Pamela. I booked as early as possible on the date my cruise was available for booking. My first choice, 816, was already booked so I went with my second choice, 912.

Poss, if you forget the hype I think you will feel comfortable on the Explorer. It is beautiful, the suite comfortable and the crew is still wonderful friendly Regent. We are in an E. If you deduct the hotel credit it is close to the F1. We spend a lot of time on the balcony and I love the chaise. We are close to the aft elevators and find it very convenient.

To me it is like 1% treatment (whatever that is) whether you are 1% or not)

I'm sorry you didn't get one of these four F2's, Pamela. I booked as early as possible on the date my cruise was available for booking. My first choice, 816, was already booked so I went with my second choice, 912.

We went for 909 Dave, i have a feeling that on your B2B2B we will be with you on one segment. Looking forward to it regardless.

Pam hope you have a wonderful cruise. Jean.

Poss,

 

As others have said, the F1 and the F2 suites are identical inside. The difference is the location and, possibly, the balcony size. Some F1's have a larger balcony although the midship F1's have the smaller balcony. With a couple of exceptions, the F2's have the smaller balcony. Note though that the smaller balconies on Explorer are larger than the standard balconies on Voyager and Mariner.

 

I suggest you go with an F2 and book either 816, 817, 911 or 912. These F2's have a larger balcony than the other F2's because they are partially on the forward hump or wing on the Explorer. Their balconies are sized between the standard large and small balconies on the ship. I've booked 912 on our upcoming cruise in August so I've put my money where my mouth is. :D

 

Hope this helps.

 

P.S. The four suites I suggested tend to be snapped up early so don't wait too long to book.

That they do. We had 912 booked for Iceland in August but had to shift a month earlier. None of the 4 'angled balcony' cabins were available. I guess good news travels fast. Enjoy them before they become Cat E's. :(

That they do. We had 912 booked for Iceland in August but had to shift a month earlier. None of the 4 'angled balcony' cabins were available. I guess good news travels fast. Enjoy them before they become Cat E's. :(

Good point - it wouldn't surprise me if that happened. IMO, since the balconies are larger than the other ships, an extra foot or so doesn't matter. Even having the chaise lounge on our concierge suite balcony vs. the slightly smaller lounge in the F1 suite didn't make much of a difference. They were both much more usable that the balcony in the Grand Suite (forward) because it was too windy to use it. It would have worked better as a skating rink!

For our first seven Regent cruises we were G, lowest deck, and mid-ship on mariner and Voyager. On our recent 7th regent cruise we were E609; it was terrific! Same interior layout as F cabins; it had much better: size, décor, layout; storage (bath, closet, make-up area, and desk),and verandah than G on the other ships. We had no difficulty with roll or pitch even in gale force winds/seas ("79 knot").

I'd prefer any F low (I'm not a good sailor) and aft of the forward elevators and I would consider what was above and below the cabin. E609 was quiet and very convenient to other areas.

Loving all these great comments on the F2's on Explorer, specifically the 4 angled balcony ones. We have 911 on our upcoming March cruise, chosen by our TA, and I had not even noticed that until she sent me the confirmation with the cabin number. Sounds like we just lucked into a great cabin.:D

Dave, Jackie and Marcie........looking forward to seeing you all.

Thanks JoAnn. Me too....we're in E647 with large angled balcony in March. We took the pre-hotel credit and don't need the transfer. Only time I play Hearts is on a cruise!:) Hoping for another Texas Hold'em tournament with all our sea days.

Thanks so much for your good feedback. Just hearing from the familiar, faithful feeders makes my day.

Since we were such happy campers in the other ships' G's, I know that F2 will be great. The slightly larger, angled balconies would be especially fun for warm weather cruises, but the itinerary I'm hoping to be able to do is mainly Norway, so I suspect that (as was the case for our Alaska cruising) we'd not use the balcony over much. I'd love the E balconies with chaise if this were a Med cruise (we're big balcony users), but, again, given this itinerary and the fact that the Explorer balconies are larger than anything we've had in the past, any of the F2's should be excellent. I will ask for one of the "Fabulous Fours" because the shape would be nice even to look at from inside, but it won't be a big disappointment if we miss out on that choice.

Here's a question though: DeepFreeze mentioned that the best bet would be aft of the forward elevators. (We also prefer lowest deck possible.) But all those F2's on decks 8 & 9 are forward of the elevators. I wonder what might be the down-side of those cabins, i.e. why aft of elevator is preferable?

Thanks again to the Tried and True. Really grateful.

Hi:

Sorry to confuse the suite location issue with my shorthand "aft of the forward elevators." I said that only because I heard a little "swoosh" and felt a little pitch from the ship in E609 (just at the forward elevators) when in waters with a noticeable swell ( remember, I'm not a good sailor).

Poss: we had one of the much coveted F2 suites, 816, during the November TA. The angled balcony was great and it gave us a unique view as well as made one feel as if you are gliding over the waves ("I'm on top of the world, ma!"). I even had The Boss spread her arms and lean forward Titanic style. Go for it and enjoy!

Z and TB

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Thanks JoAnn. Me too....we're in E647 with large angled balcony in March. We took the pre-hotel credit and don't need the transfer. Only time I play Hearts is on a cruise!:) Hoping for another Texas Hold'em tournament with all our sea days.

Moving over to Regent since SS canceled ours next year...so if I don't want/like/need the hotel at the embarkation point, I can turn it down and they will decrease the price of an E by a little? I still get priority reservations for excursions and dinners?

Thanks! Melissa

Moving over to Regent since SS canceled ours next year...so if I don't want/like/need the hotel at the embarkation point, I can turn it down and they will decrease the price of an E by a little? I still get priority reservations for excursions and dinners?

Thanks! Melissa

Generally the hotel credit is $150/person but it can vary. If you tell us the sailing date that you are looking at, I can tell you exactly how much the hotel credit is. Yes - you do get priority dining and excursion reservations. Depending upon when your cruise is, your excursions may already be open for booking (240 days prior to the date of embarkation).

We have sailed on Silversea a few times and am quite surprised what they are doing -- cancelling so many cruises, etc. Welcome to Regent!

THANKS! We are probably going on April 23-30 Explorer, Barcelona to Rome. (TA is in a conference next week but we are in contact via phone and email and she says there's space as does the website) This is the reverse of what we were on and 1 month later but works nicely for us. We even like 2 of the ports better. I'm just not a huge fan of the PH layout, I really do like the F's layout but the E balcony and priority booking has potential.

Melissa

THANKS! We are probably going on April 23-30 Explorer, Barcelona to Rome. (TA is in a conference next week but we are in contact via phone and email and she says there's space as does the website) This is the reverse of what we were on and 1 month later but works nicely for us. We even like 2 of the ports better. I'm just not a huge fan of the PH layout, I really do like the F's layout but the E balcony and priority booking has potential.

 

Melissa

The hotel credit for Barcelona is $150 per person. Taking the credit, brings the fare difference between Category E Suites and Category F suites to $149 pp for F1 suites and $249 pp for F2 suites. IMO, upgrading to Category E is worth the small fare difference.

Thanks all! My TA is online today and has a hold on 1024. I like the suite but I"m not thrilled by the location being so close to the elevator. Not a fan of people wandering by all day/night talking. (Too many bad experiences in hotels) Thinking of asking her if 1002 is open...anyone been that far forward?

We were in the very front Vista cabin, deck 4, SS Wind on a last minute cruise 3 years ago in Canada/New England. Not noticeable motion but we were down very low. Could absolutely hear the anchor every morning tho!

The only time I"ve ever been seasick was crossing the English Channel during a horrible storm on SS Whisper. They basically closed the ship down after dinner. The butler stuffed pillows in the cabinets to keep the glasses in.

M