Explorer Day 1 of 14 day Caribbean Voyage

I've followed many of you who have posted trip bits while on Explorer recently. Not unlike our country now, there is quite allot of diversity and opinion among them. Perhaps as there should be. So to qualify, I will say that my wife and I have cruised only Princess (four times), once with our kids. We both work jobs that have never allowed more time off than a week at a time. While we feel financialy sound, we by no means live a life as privileged as many of you. I say that so what ever I post here will have significance to others like us (currently celebrating our 25th anniversary) that feel lucky to be able to indulge on a cruise of this expense and caliber from the prospective of say the "un-carved block". Those of you who do this level of cruising often have a much more experienced and (from what I've been reading here) judgmental opinion of what is or should be part of the overall experience. To those I say move on. This post will not interest you at all. In fact it will probably make your eyes roll. Though for those who have forgotten what it was like to take your first all inclusive, read on. I will not go into the amazing detail (that so enthralled me)that some of you did for the last few cruises, but rather I will simply share quick observations and experiences for those yet to come. Thoughts of day one to follow shortly.

Looking forward to all you have to say! Angie

Looking forward to your posts thanks :)

I am on the same cruise as the OP. This is my 7th with Regent going back to the Song of Flower. I also have 7 with Crystal going back to the Harmony. With the permission of the OP, I will tag along.

After just a day and a half I am blown away by the ship, the service and especially the wonderful food. Today's Fish Al Fresco lunch was the best I have ever had at sea. We eat sushi religiously 3-4 times a month. I have never had better sashimi. Every meal has been superb. We are early in our cruise but Regent has exceeded my high expectations.

I submit now to the OP. It is their thread.

Dennis

We'll be jumping on the Explorer once you've arrived back in Miami! It'll be our first trip back to Regent in almost 5 years and we think every moment of them is simply magical. Looking forward to hearing what you have to say :)

Boarding - quick and easy- champagne greeting. Boarded at 12:30, got room by 2:30. Lunch buffet: back of boat, Perfect prime rib! with fresh horseradish. Wife salad bar was wonderful. Crew was attentive and quick. 6pm send off was celebratory! Crew was fast to get preferred libations to everyone before the cast off HORRRNN! (SO loud). First meal was attempted at Compass Rose, but the required two top (per us) would be much later so without hesitation they checked in with the other specialty restaurants and found us an immediate two top at Chartreuse (their French offering). Amazing dinner!. Service was also fantastic. Wine steward was attentive and spot on with our meals. Teaching at a culinary institute gives me a perspective that follows the details closely. It also appreciates the details needed to get it all done.. right!. The Explorer staff have gotten it right (so far). Winds were high today so the upper decks were off limits for lounge chairs :(l. Regardless, even though the ship is full.. it really feels more like half full. Easy to move around, and with one to one staff to guest ratio's it's clear you'll never be waiting.. and today that was true. Dinner tonight was compass rose. We got in early (6:30) and were happy to get a two top in the back. Noise levels have been a common complaint, but earlier posts suggested that Compass Rose is U shaped and the outer parts of the U are quieter. Tonight that theory proved to be true. Dinner was great (Prime New York for me and the Canyon Ranch Spa Selection for my wife). Wine selection per our steward was perfect and always attentive. Day one was perfect!. No shows tonight.. room early. Note: Infinity pool and attaching men/woman locker rooms with amazing amenities worth checking out. OMG... cold room, aroma therapy steam room, infra red hot room.. and freaky massage shower room. SO cool. So endith day one.

Looks ,like your on your way to a great cruise. Looking forward to reading more.

Rick

First of all, no need to qualify or apologize for your perspective. There are many, many more people like you than you may think who empathize with your experience. So, let it rip. It sounds like you're off to am amazing start on a fantastic journey. I am trying to convince some friends who have never (or seldom) cruised to try the Explorer and your comments will be helpful, especially with your culinary background.

Chefwoody, you rock! Can't wait to read your daily posts. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences (and wit) with us. Who knows ... you may end up a Regent convert.

Nice to read your report. Our cruise on explorer was so port intensive that I never made it to the spa, but DH did not like the infrared sauna.

Really loving these posts - especially since we disembarked the ship last Friday and are really missing it!

Rachel, my DH really liked the aromatherapy steam room/spa (not sure what it is but he went into it almost every day and followed it with a shower and a bath in our Jacuzzi tub).

Chefwoody, on our 72 night first cruise - nothing like going in at the deep end - we knew we could be the 'poorest' passengers on ship. I'd saved up for this and it was nearly a year of my net salary by the time you included the airfares from Australia (we Antipodeans don't get this included). Like you, everything's comfortable at home but with a son at University and other variables, we thought we might be a bit 'out of place' with our fellow passengers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Of course, we were with people with much more disposable income than us - but it just didn't seem to matter.

And more importantly, Regent treated us absolutely equally. We ate with the Captain, were treated as royalty by all on board and this was a true joy of the cruise.

And I'm not a chef but in my 'backpacker' days, I've worked in restaurants so have an idea of what to look for - not quite your professional status but you get the idea, and I liked what I saw. Except for the bread.

We've, through careful vetting of itineraries, been able to enjoy two more Regent cruises. We don't plan to cruise in the next two years but after that, Regent will be our first choice.

So, enjoy your indulgence and we look forward to your updates.

Just a quick note regarding staterooms. We are in an F2 on deck 8 in room 817. 817 is right next door to the Concierge suites with the larger balcony. Our balcony is 1/3 F2 and then angles out to the Concierge size so there is extra space that really does feel bigger. A good consideration for less cost.

Last night's red was Chateau St. Jean Cabernet. Back home retails for $20.

Dennis

Looking forward to your posts. Thanks for taking the time to bring us along on your trip.

Count us among those who are not able to afford a Regent cruise as often as we'd like. Our last cruise with Regent (on the Nav) was over 3 years ago; hopefully we'll have one in our future soon!

We have the best of both worlds on the Regent boards--those fortunate to sail with Regent one (or more) times a year, and those who are in the same situation as us and may give us a fresh perspective, having been away from Regent for some years. (or taking their very first voyage with Regent). Those folks who are frequent Regent guests give us a wealth of information; (and thank you for sharing!). Those who get to enjoy Regent a lot less frequently due to financial circumstances or other reasons, their posts as well take me "back" to the special times and fond memories, even though it's been years since we've stepped on board.

Happy cruising, everyone!:)

Need to retreat from the sun & wind & our deck is nice and shady so I thought I'd sum up the day so far. And while (for the record) I don't tweet or Facebook as I rarely find ones personal life worth reading or speaking about minute by minute, hour by hour... I do find it enjoyable posting to the folks wondering about or reliving a cruise like this. And thank you all for the positive replies.

We were told to set our clocks ahead one hour before retiring last night. We put out our breakfast order (should be called the Coffee Alert door flag) and fell deep into our luxury mattress. Out of a deep sleep I heard a doorbell...!?. I yelled out my son's name in habit and reminded him his friends should respect our sleep in the middle of the night. This was met with a "Jesus Wood, it's our coffee! go open the door!. Marriage is so wonderful :). Anyway, the tea lights we put in our bathroom (great tip by someone on these posts to bring a few of those little battery powered tea lights to put in the bathroom as there are no night lights and the room is literally pitch black once all is off) guided me to the door. I was greeted with a tray of table linens, coffee, cups, muffin and fruit and a smile that did more than the coffee to brighten my somewhat confusing morning. In fact the fine young woman who brought our service was not at all uncomfortable walking in past my boxer laden unshaven and most certainly frumpy self. She went about setting up our little coffee house almost before my wife could get a light on. Understand my wife & I are traditionally morning people. But the anxiety and building up to this trip (since the July christening) apparently had taken some toll. But a happy toll to be sure. It was 6:30 (actually 5:30 plus the newly added hour - bastards :)) and we were once again shaking our heads at the amazing blue ocean and warm breezes as we sipped our coffee on our deck. Off to the gym - sit down bike for me, tread mill for my wife. I love reading and riding. Just never mastered it on the road. The gym is much safer. Not more than two people either day (7:30ish). A good sweat then off to the Espresso Bar for a latte. On the way back to our room for a shower and breakfast wardrobe change, Gail mentioned that it was good that we got our bad karma with the lock to our room not working day one out of the way. Guess what... that damn door heard her. It was blinking red before we even tried a card. About 45 minutes later security had it open and began breaking it down for a proper fixing - we hope. My mood was not (nor will it ever be) lightened by the breakfast options in the back. I chose an omelet and added the other military must haves: canned hash, KETCHUP, sausage, bacon, deep fried hash browns, KETCHUP and my latest suggested upgrade to this breakfast smorgasbord... champagne!. If we weren't diving tomorrow I'd try doubles of that before breakfast. Don't worry, I promise not to post anything afterward if I do. Amazingly all decks allowed folks to enjoy lounge chairs despite similar if not slightly heavier winds of yesterday. We encountered a very privileged couple who were quite put off that my wife would not let them use my lounger - even despite my immediate presence in front of it in the pool and my belongings along side it. As with all things, the balance to the bad was a great case of good as we met and spoke with a mother and daughter traveling together while in the pool. Conversations were wonderful (even for me as I usually hate that kind of thing - that's what my wife is for right? Ok Ok... I heard you ladies tsk tsk.. sorry..but I also heard a few male snickers) and went on long enough that I came out wrinkled - eww... sorry, bad image. Lunch for me was a nicely cooked and trimmed cheese burger, Gail created what she could with the Mexican themed goodies available (she's picky). The infinity pool and all the open to all spa amenities - especially the aroma therapy steam room - wrapped up our afternoon. Latte's and kick back until pre-dinner cocktails. Does not get much better then that. Stay tuned for the 2nd half... unless those pre-dinner cocktails bite, then it may be a safer and far better versed summary in the morning :)

Chef Woody, your descriptions are wonderful! I can picture it all in my mind as I'm reading (except for the part where you area wearing boxers or are wrinkled from being in the swimming pool;) )

Keep the posts coming!

Chefwoody - I'm enjoying your thread. It's also nice to hear from the new/fresh posters on the thread, as well. Like you, breakfast is not complete without the essential corned beef hash and copious amounts of ketchup on the eggs. Love it! :p Best Regards

Chef Woody---Where are you diving tomorrow? If you have time, please report back on your experience. My husband is a diver; good thing we're not on this cruise. You two would be swapping stories for sure....:rolleyes:

It sounds like many of the disappointing issues we experienced on the maiden voyage on a, frankly, unfinished ship with inadequately trained and/or inexperienced staff have been addressed. Good.

(But we will always cringe at the decor. As the great Dolly Parton once said "it cost a lot of money to look this cheap"!)

Lovin' your reports, Chef Woody! Keep 'em coming!!!

Wonderful posts! Thank you!

Very little to add tonight. They had a little "block party" tonight which was a go out in the hall and get to know your neighbors kind of thing, but we were already deep in the ship and missed it... hmm. Did Compass Rose again tonight.. still spot on. Service was great, crowds lacking and lamb chops perfectly.. really.. perfectly cooked!. Ceasar and sides were not bad. But damn those chops were good. Not much else to report tonight... as said, dive day tomorrow means mellow night tonight and lots of water tomorrow. Added musts: Again.. only three U.S. electric outlets in the entire suite so: Bring multiple plug bars or European converters. Love the fact that I can order a bottle of Pinot Gris and Bordeau to the room for late night relaxing. This just couldn't be better!. Magic show tonight sounds great, but past our post diving bed time. Had some bad news today but WILL rebound. Sorry for the short post. Best to come.. I promise!

It sounds like many of the disappointing issues we experienced on the maiden voyage on a, frankly, unfinished ship with inadequately trained and/or inexperienced staff have been addressed. Good.

 

(But we will always cringe at the decor. As the great Dolly Parton once said "it cost a lot of money to look this cheap"!)

Actually, the ship is still not complete in terms of fixing little things (it is under warranty for a year and there are people onboard working on every detail). Sorry that you didn't enjoy your cruise or the décor but it appears that you are in the minority. While the décor does not suit everyone, it does not affect the wonderful onboard experience.

In terms of the crew - as you know, we were on the cruise before the maiden voyage (the christening cruise) and did not feel that the crew was inadequately trained or inexperienced. There are always new crew members coming onboard and, as with any new ship, it takes a few days to adjust. OTOH, I do understand that you paid a premium for your cruise so your expectations may have been a bit too high. Having read about maiden voyages on other cruise lines, we knew in advance that it would not be perfect.

Chefwoody, those of us that cruise frequently on Regent as well as "newbies" are enjoying your posts very much. So sorry that you had some bad news today - hoping that the rest of your cruise is as enjoyable as it has been thus far:)

I've loved your past posts and would credit you for my current efforts. Sun is just popping up (as is my wife).. and while I once again awoke to a door bell, today I was far more civil .. boxers, t-shirt AND slippers!. My fashion sense completely unappreciated - in my opinion :). More to follow.