Dr. Cocktail

I will be careful here as I don't want to offend uktog who is very pleasant and leaving on Viking in a few weeks! We did a 7 night Caribbean on Viking Sun which isn't necessarily the best test but it really wasn't for us. The onboard atmosphere was like a mortuary but without the music ... The main dining room was LOUD - I was "only" 55 at the time but if left both of us jittery - not a pleasant dining experience. There were lots of design flaws on board which drove me particularly crazy as Sun was the fourth in a series - you would have thought that all of the issues would have been corrected. The crowd on board was broken into two different camps - the "true believers" who had loved their Viking River voyages and those of us who had sailed on other lines. We were generally "I don't get it". It is most definitely NOT luxury .... it's like Celebrity was at its inception.

How the cruising world has changed! A friend who was very high up in the travel business invited me as his guest for a shakedown Transatlantic cruise on Disney Magic (!) sailing from Fincantieri to the States. EXACTLY same scenario - new cruise line designed and planned by many people with years of experience. My long gone parents parents were not in the greatest of health and even though my partner said "go and have a good time", I couldn't do it.... I still carry some moderate regrets! There was absolutely no way that Disney was letting paid passengers onboard until they had done some dry (wet?) runs ....

Ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh,,,,,,,,, the inaugural! TOTAL new ship smell! Will be extremely eager to hear your thoughts! Extremely excited for you!

.... what's funny about all is this is that I've been SUCH a cheerleader on these boards and I can see myself boarding and going: " Big NO!" I'll actually have made final payment on the second before going on the first ....🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Perhaps but there were a LOT of deals just as cruises were starting back up again. I don’t talk prices onboard anymore because it’s impolite to the paramedics who then have to revive me! Aside from various obc and loyalty offers, prices haven’t fallen below the initial offerings. I think that they’re going to try and maintain some price integrity unless the ship(s) are going out empty. I’m sure they have some occupancy minimums at which point they start to politely panic!

I'm going to respectfully disagree with you on this one! I was recently on Regent and while most things were excellent, it really was very "old school" and unexciting. The staff were VERY aware of Explora and one of the senior staff referred to it as "sexy"! As a company, unless you try new things that carry some risk, you'll just be like everyone else. The lack of fixed show times (and shows for that matter!), the expectation that people can just go to the restaurant of their choice without reservations and the design of the ship have obviously been carefully considered by very experienced people. But - things don't always work out. They may need to institute reservations for some venues or experiences or change their entertainment offerings. I've said this before - I like enough of what I see to give them a chance. I wouldn't go back on Regent and recent reviews of Silversea and Seabourn are not confidence inspiring.

I can't disagree with your numbers but you're assuming full capacity of all cabins. I don't think that will happen too often - in fact, they're hoping for 80% double occupancy in the near future. I think that the 23 chi-chi, foofiest cabins would allow a very exclusive experience as you stated. But .... if only 80% of those are booked and not everyone gets off at the Ocean Cay, it's not really a lot of people for a whole lotta' effort! An empty venue can be almost as bad as an overcrowded one .... again, we'll have to see!

I was actually thinking earlier about this when I initially booked - I just hoped that a Penthouse would get me into Ocean House. Seashore has over 125 YC cabins and uses Ocean House whereas Explora inclusive of the OS, Residences and Penthouses would be only 89 cabins. If you wanted to keep it very exclusive, OS and Residences would only be 23 cabins. I think that the answer to many of our questions is "tbd".... I was impressed by statements made by their CEO. He basically said that they're going to throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks!

I was on the third sailing of the Horizon - it was GREAT!

I most certainly will but it's not until the end of the year! I'm hoping that they will have ironed out some of the likely kinks but I'm sure that there will be hiccups along the way. I confident enough to be an early adopter!

I have three booked so far - it’s like they addressed every desire I have in terms of cruising. I’m hoping that the reality lives up to expectations! They launch in a few weeks….

Um, that’s an Artisanal Crouton….

Actually, Explora is offering Matching Status to Captains Club members in the form of obc …. https://explorajourneys.com/int/en/info/exclusive-welcome-match-terms-and-conditions But in terms of pricing, Explora is definitely in the Ultra Luxury category in line with Regent and Silversea.

An interesting discussion but all the major cruise operators (except for MSC...) are saddled with HUGE debt and have to start paying it off. Corners will be cut in a race to the bottom before consumers "complain" which does not involve letters or emails - it involves NOT booking! That in itself can also start a negative cycle of ships not being full leading to discounting leading to further cuts ....🤷‍♂️ While some posters are referencing HAL, my travel agent says she has become VERY reluctant to book HAL and Princess because of all of the complaints she's getting from her clients. For what it's worse, she has fewer complaints with Celebrity. On my recent cruise on Regent, I was taken aback by many low cost items on the buffet - luxury doesn't appear to be a guarantee these days!

I just spoke to them .... only applicable to bookings made after May 12, 2023 .... I'll just have to be happy that my price never went lower, even with all of the various promos and offers!

It appears that there's a new Status Match offer .... in the legal bits, it alludes to an Explora Loyalty program that will also likely offer Status Matching. https://explorajourneys.com/int/en/info/exclusive-welcome-match-terms-and-conditions

While we have enjoyed both the Haven and the Yacht Club, the deal breaker for us is that there is absolutely no shade whatsoever on the Divina and Seaside Class ships. Whereas there are plenty of umbrellas, pergolas and the covered pool on the Breakaway & "+" ships, it's like the surface of the sun on Seaside. For our second sailing, we took attachable chair umbrellas but they wouldn't fit the chair arms. All this because Mrs. Aponte (seriously) doesn't like the look of umbrellas!

Pierfrancesco Vago is on the record for saying that cruise lines that sell their ships are basically idiots as it allows low cost competition to enter the market. That's why you saw so many RCI and Carnival ships scrapped during the pandemic. I think they'll operate those older ships until they're truly financially prohibitive.

Don’t worry - it all worked out… Mr. Fluffles found a good home and now has 1.2 million followers on Insta….

Some very recent footage set to stock YouTube rescued kitten music ......

Actually, they do read these boards but I'm not sure to what effect. The most important thing is to put it on your comment card - those are most definitely read. We were recently on Norwegian in the Haven and have always enjoyed their grilled scallop main course which consisted of three HUGE scallops. We ordered it this time and literally broke out laughing as it was placed in front of me - three tiny scallops appropriate for a pasta sauce or seafood salad. The server asked me if anything was wrong - I was still laughing and said something like it's not how I remembered it. Moments later the restaurant manager swooped in and (short version) said "please, please, please put it on your comment card and be very specific. They are read in head office and carry much more weight than our complaints". It was obvious that they were aware of the changes and weren't happy. For the next few years, it will be a balancing act for the cruise lines between being fiscally prudent while not totally alienating guests. And no - you don't need to wait for a dry dock to change out worn items. Our favourite was one cruise where we spent the day at the beach, walked into our cabin and froze - all of the carpeting was new. We were amazed - everything (including our suitcases under the bed and shoes in the closet!) exactly where we left them earlier. While the new carpet smell was a bit strong, we were duly impressed! Meaning - things can change on an ongoing basis.

Actually from Cruise Critic: Ship: Celebrity Eclipse Dates: Spring 2025 Details: Celebrity Eclipse is slated for all new carpeting in this drydock along with new draperies. All staterooms and suites will get new balcony furniture and the galley is getting new equipment.

I have enjoyed this thread with its "I know you are, but what am I vibe" and unfortunately, it could be applied to any of the different boards for all of the cruise lines. I sailed on Regent this past March and on NCL in May and there were hits and misses on both. What was "interesting" was the substitution of cheaper ingredients in many of the tried and true venues on both cruise lines - and I'm including Regent on this. My takeaway statement is that you have to be flexible - while I still love cruising, no it's not the same as it was a decade ago, but what is? It's easy for me to say but it REALLY helps if you're an omnivore. I must admit I love a big piece of dead cow but if my server says "the vegetarian stew is really good tonight", that's what I go for. There seems to be an obsession with beef on these boards - people have to realize that the shocking price that you pay for beef in your supermarket is the reality that the cruise lines have to deal with while still keeping your fare "reasonable". Go for the ocean, the vibe, the random chats with staff and fellow passengers and listen to recommendations. If your a "meat and potatoes" person, expect to pay extra in the specialty or expand your horizons a bit. You can whine all you want but these are the current realities of cruising right now.

Actually, all of the luxury cruise lines have loyalty programs with perqs such as obc, discounts on shore excursions, free phone time and such. I've attached Regent's as an example. https://www.rssc.com/seven-seas-society Having said that, Explora (for the time being anyway) wants to keep MSC at "arms length".

I think that the possible reticence may stem from the association with MSC. I was at a horrible (another story entirely…) cocktail party two days ago and was chatting with a long time business associate who was going on Seabourn. I told her about my 3 booked Explora cruises and she waved her (finely manicured and bejewelled) hand and said “I’m not sailing on MSC!”. I said “hon” (seriously) - “you’re sailing on Carnival - same corporate arrangement!” She said “no, that’s different!” I am suspicious that this isn’t a unique response…… As I’ve stated on these boards before, I’m willing to be an early adapter. With these prices, many are most certainly waiting for some early reviews.