CJANDH

Has anyone heard if Explora Journeys are going to offer air booking service and pre/post hotels? It seems that they are not competing well with the other luxury lines who all offer this service.

Please keep us posted on any information you get about the Amazon river cruise. We are scheduled to sail there for Christmas on Regent Mariner and you are an eagerly watched test for us. The Azamara Quest has just made it to Manaus, but Viking have cancelled two Amazon sailings, substituting extra stops in the Caribbean. The Zaandam is a bigger ship than the Quest or the Mariner. So if you make we should too. Love your postings. Thanks for doing it.

I too am on the Mariner Xmas cruise up the Amazon. Azamara Quest is travelling up the Amazon today. She has propulsion problems that are resulting in itinerary changes. But the cruise looks like it is going all the way to Manaus. I have been watching water levels in Manaus and they have been going higher a few feet over the last 5 days. So maybe Regent is right to "wait and see" for a while. Fingers crossed.

Please keep us posted on the condition of the Amazon as you progress upstream. Sorry to hear about the mechanical/electrical problems. Good sailing!

Are you having creaking noise problems? What suite are you in? I have heard that even the Residence Suites are having noise issues.

Which cruise was that?

On a Viking Roll Call discussion on CC.

Manus may not be open at all soon. Viking have just cancelled their next two Amazon cruises in December citing the low river levels making it too dangerous to navigate. It seems that the Azamara Quest is still planning to sail up the Amazon this week. It will be interesting to see what the next few cruises do: Holland Zaandam, Oceania Sirena and Regent Mariner. All are scheduled for December stops in Manus.

We are booked in 6089 in March. Sure hope they have fixed the noise problem by then. At the price we are paying we don't need sleepless nights! Any updates?

But the bathroom looks small by suite standards.

Does that mean that if two people book the Master Suite they only pay for the two of them, but get two bedrooms? Not a bad idea if you think you might fall out with your spouse/partner during the cruise!!!

If you have the time, I would still be interested in your review of the Residence you are in. We are booked in the Cocoon Residence in March and have heard that the bathroom layout is less than ideal.

I am on the Amazon Holiday cruise on Mariner and I too am concerned that the Amazon segment is in danger because of low water levels. So far I have not been able to find any information on cruises being impacted. However when some of the world's largest freight shippers are cancelling port calls, it doesn't look good. We need rain . . and lots of it.

Great pics. Thanks. I look forward to hearing your impressions of the ship and service.

Pretty good response if they follow through. The extra included wines and the extended grill times are particularly good.

Can you tell us who is the Cruise Director on Mariner now?

Have you looked at the cost of that insurance?

We are booked on Mariner for Christmas in the Amazon in December this year. We are struggling to understand the requirements for Yellow Fever Vaccination. Regent has not published anything but my research indicates the following: 1. YF vaccination is not required to enter Brazil, but is recommended. 2. The CDC cautions against YF vaccination for those older than 60. 3. Two of the ports we will visit after visiting Brazil (Dominica & Bahamas) require proof of YF vaccination for entry if the traveler has been to a Yellow Fever endemic region, which the Amazon is. [They may accept a vaccination exemption letter/form from a medical doctor if you have a medical contraindication to the vaccine . . but not sure]. 4. Holland America have issued a letter to travelers on a similar cruise in February 2024 stating that a valid YF vaccination certificate or an original vaccination waiver/letter is required for embarkation. Pax without either of these documents will be refused boarding. Despite a formal request for information, Regent have not advised their policy on YF vaccinations. Getting a YF vaccination is not easy as it can only be given at limited clinics and may require travelling some distance to get it. It also costs $200 + per person. Given this, Regent needs to give us some time to comply with their unstated rules. Has anyone got some better information. Chris.

On our Christmas cruise last year we were able to order the Christmas Special meal in the specialty restaurants if we wished. They just needed a "heads up" ahead of seating.

We are travelling up the Amazon over Christmas and then visiting several Caribbean countries on our way back to Miami. Researching the requirements of the Caribbean countries we will visit, it seems we will need YF vaccination certificates to go into Dominica and Bahamas because we have been to Brazil. We are in our 70's and don't want to get the vaccine. Will we be denied embarkation on our cruise or just not allowed to go ashore in the two ports? Any advice will be appreciated.

I had been reading posts that said there was no directional signage or deck plans posted around the ship. As a result I spent some time copying deck plans for eac deck with public areas into a word document that I have printed out to take on my cruise in March. Maybe I didn't need to go to this effort. Anyway, in case anyone wants a guide to carry with them, I have attached the file below. Explora I deck plan.docx

Opening shore bookings a year out may not be the best strategy to keep customers happy. Many people cannot book that far out and will almost always find it hard to book a decent excursion after making their RSS booking 6 or 9 months out. Viking don't open their shore bookings until 3 months out. There is still a mad rush to book as soon as they open; but at least most pax get a shot.

Not sure a 5% saving to pay a year in advance is worth it these days. You can make almost that with an online bank.

Wow! Looks great. Wish we were there with you. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until March to get our turn.

I am a bit confused. Is the price for the Master Suite (per person) shown on the website for two people booking it? I had assumed it was for four using both bedrooms. If I booked the Master Suite for just the two of us what would I pay?