We were also on the Vancouver to Tokyo with goarmy, jessandarnie and met mr. fudge. We continued onward for 11 days to Korea and back to Tokyo. This was our second Regent cruise and second time on Explorer. Previous cruises have been on HAL Zaandam, both Oceania O ships and 3 of the 4 Oceania R ships = Gold level Oceania Club member.
Our experiences was that Explorer was in excellent condition and crew were always cordial and helpful.
We were in a Concierge E stateroom which is the same size as a O ship Penthouse and slightly larger that a R ship Penthouse. The walk in closet with a 2 sink bathroom were much nicer than a Oceania O ship Penthouse (R ship closet is not walk in). Really liked that the bed faced the balcony, was hard to figure out how the illy® Espresso Maker worked, mini-frig and bar were always stocked with desired soda and requested liqueur. Internet 🛜 was reasonably reliable throughout but live TV was off when in port due to local regulations 👎.
Noticeable difference from Oceania was that the La Veranda buffet is self service while the Regent Pool Grill menu is far superior to Oceania Waves. Sette Mari at La Veranda was not to our liking and a major disappointment so the majority of our evening meals were in Compass Rose were service was comparable to Oceania but the daily different right-side menu items were uninspiring. The evening menu at Oceania Terrace Cafe offers more variety with frequent themed dinners. IOO, Regent and Oceania Specialty restaurants are equal and Regent excursions, while included, were not really different than Oceania pay-as-you go selections.
Yes, this cruise stretch our budget but the attention from the crew was outstanding and superior to Oceania experiences. The no key card open bar was handy and the wine list far superior. A Oceania Penthouse with Beverage package fits our needs so while we enjoyed our time onboard, $ wise, I doubt we will sail Regent again.