chaunceyb

We are on the Explorer now also. Very pleased with everything- very nice inclusive wine list (attached copy of the list) and the bartenders make great drinks! Swimming pool and hot tubs are great! 

Very friendly and attentive staff.

Backing up, the Tokyo Hilton was wonderful (except maybe not the elevators 😉😀), rooms spacious and well appointed.

We did private tours in Tokyo (countryside and Kamakura/ Enoshima).

Tour and transfer to ship on Day 3 was well organized.

Tours have been good, today in Miyako was the best - toured the village that was destroyed by the 2011 tsunami and learned about the new walls they have built and first hand accounts from a survivor and watched a video of the tsunami taken by a hotel owner that can only be viewed on this tour. Very moving experience!

And the Japanese people are so gracious, friendly, and kind! 
BTW, I would post photos but they are in my camera😀

6 hours ago, mj_holiday said:

Reusable water bottles are provided and place to fill them up as you leave the ship. 

Thanks again!

Sorry for another question:  Can't remember if Regent provides reusable water bottles for guests. BTW, I can't stand "line cutters" either!😅 We are on the April 13 May 1 North Pacific Passage cruise.

10 hours ago, mj_holiday said:

The room in Tokyo Hilton did have a kettle and Nescafé along with tea. 

Thank you and enjoy your cruise!🙂

53 minutes ago, mj_holiday said:

Today’s the day we really start our journey. We were up very early, of course. Did I mention we have crossed 11 time zones
Breakfast was nice and we packed our carry-ons and we’re ready to head to the meeting place. Our suitcases were picked up last night sometime.

Since the ship will not be ready for us as we check out of the hotel, Regent is having our buses due 2 to 3 sightseeing stops

Our first stop was to Meiji shrine. The tour guide told us it was a 20 minute walk. Due to this DH stayed on the bus. The 20 minute walk was a fast walk. We went by many barrels filled with saki or beer.  These are offerings to the Emporer  The Emporer Meiji enjoyed both wine and saki. .
I made it to the shrine and went in under a large Torri  wooden gate. It is very different style from Christian shrines that you may think of. Entering there was a place to wash your hands which  I understand, is part of the ritual.  
(Sorry for the upside down photo). 

 

Thanks much for your posting! I think I saw you mention that at the Tokyo Hilton no coffee makers in rooms, just kettles to boil water? Enjoy you cruise! 

We booked this hotel for our November cruise:

https://divaniapollonhotel.com/

11 hours ago, jessandarnie said:

We are on the same cruise, Tokyo to Vancouver, it is a little concerning to read about certain issues on the Explorer. We realise everything is not perfect all the time. This cruise is not inexpensive by no means, we are looking forward to experiencing a quality time on board with each other & enjoy what Regent promotes in their advertising. I am always positive..

As my wife and I have been to Tokyo before, we decided to "do our own thing" during the Tokyo 3 day Pre-Cruise. Going to Kamakura one day and then into the Tokyo country side the second day. We normally have to take long flights to go on cruises, but not this time as we live in Hawaii, 8 hour, 45 minute direct flight on ANA. We enjoyed sailing on the Navigator around Ireland in Kuly 2022.

19 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

We cruised the Explorer in Alaska last June. The worst problem we experienced  was on the pool deck, where it took all of five minutes for a waiter to show up. Now, this is not a real problem!  Everything else was outstanding. However, we were told that Regent’s land hotel accommodations in Anchorage,  and transfers  were lacking. But we booked our own hotel and land transfers so we had zero problems. The onboard experience was better than the many Regent cruise experiences we have had before (too many to count). I have not read any posts here that report a bad onboard experience on the Explorer. 

Thanks!

7 hours ago, ICT lineman said:

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. 

 

 

 

Thanks!

10 hours ago, pappy1022 said:

I can’t comment on the Explorer ship but I recently got back to cruising and I was on Splendor in September 2023. You can read my very detailed reports in previous postings if you desire to do so. I have been one of those people who is not afraid to criticize Regent if they don’t meet expectations. Expectations are a personal thing and everyone is different and as GOARMY said, each ship and each cruise is different. For example, the friends we were with had the full big bus experience with included transfers to and from the ship, the hotel and the airport. It was a bit chaotic and not a great experience. We, on the other hand, somehow lucked out and got a private transfer to and from the airport and hotels. I guess we were lucky (twice) but for us it was a great experience. My overall impression of Regent is that it is an excellent product but with room for improvement. Our ship was beautiful and the accommodations were excellent. Here’s where expectations come in, but I felt the dining venue service and/or food was inconsistent, ranging from great to just OK, but mostly very good. I’m sure that people get tired of hearing me complain about Destination Services but they are the Achilles heel for Regent but some people had a great experience with them. Go figure. Different expectations and different experiences. It’s just the life of cruising. Having said all that, I still had a wonderful cruise and I will sail with Regent again if their itinerary is appealing to me but I’m not married to any one cruise line. For example, my next cruise is to the French Polynesia and I considered Regent but decided on Paul Gauguin because I liked their itinerary better and they sail in the month that I wanted to cruise. Go have fun, be flexible and don’t let the little stuff become the big stuff. 

Thanks for your thoughtful post! And yes we do not let the little things bother us or nor do we go looking for issues.

2 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

We cruised the Explorer in Alaska last June. The worst problem we experienced  was on the pool deck, where it took all of five minutes for a waiter to show up. Now, this is not a real problem!  Everything else was outstanding. However, we were told that Regent’s land hotel accommodations in Anchorage,  and transfers  were lacking. But we booked our own hotel and land transfers so we had zero problems. The onboard experience was better than the many Regent cruise experiences we have had before (too many to count). I have not read any posts here that report a bad onboard experience on the Explorer. 

Thanks!

4 hours ago, Bruce61 said:

We have been on exactly one Regent cruise - aboard Explorer in Alaska in September 2023,   The cruise was great.  The service was great.  Food in specialty restaurants was great, for lunch and dinner.  Had one bad meal in Compass Rose and chose not to say anything negative as I am sure they would have made it right.  We are booked for a 18 night cruise next July (on Spendor) at a very substantial cost.  Would not do that if we did not trust Regent.

Thanks for your input, we are looking forward to our April cruise!

5 hours ago, GOARMY said:

TS: 

 

"Awful reviews . . . poorly managed ship. .."  and so-on.  

 

We were most-recently on Explorer this last September-October, Vancouver to Tokyo segment.  You will be going the other way. 

 

Firstly: every cruise segment on every Regent ship--and we have been on all of them except Splendor and Grandeur (Grandeur will be visited in the near-future)--has had a hiccup or two, OR NONE.  And, that is the point. We have had our reasonable expectations met on cruises going back to the Radisson days when aboard Mariner.  That is over the past 20+ years.  Looking forward to boarding Mariner, yet-again, in January.  

 

Yes, Regent is well-aware of passenger feedback, to include reviewing mid-cruise "Comments"  Management listens. Staff has listed to me on those very-few occasions when we (spouse included) felt the need to provide on-board feedback when something was amiss.  Followed up by contacting us for an onboard in-person meeting.  Professional.  Heard us, and responded--appropriately. 

 

Nothing earth shattering.  But, important enough for us to comment; and Regent to make the effort to seek us out, and follow up. We don't sweat the small stuff.  

 

Just be wary of both the "Home Team" rooters; or-or the "Debby Downer" naysayers who look for every variance from what may not have been experienced on a previous segment.  It is interesting to read Post-cruise segment reviews from folks ON THE SAME Cruise who come away with differing opinions.  And, I do not mean just what salad dressing was, or was not, available; and, heaven forbid--and overcooked (or undercooked) lobster in Prime 7.

 

We have also sailed on the other 5+star "small ship/all-inclusive" Lines.  To include, as have you, several aboard Crystal.  (Will give Crystal another try once our trusted Travel Agent advises being comfortable in booking clients aboard another segment.)  

 

So---FWIIW; and another bromide:  Your mileage may vary.

 

Enjoy your cruise.  We plan to enjoy the next three already booked w/Regent.  

 

GOARMY!

 

 

Thanks! I understand that there are those people who will never be satisfied - it appears that the very negative reviews were posted by a 3-4 people on an Asian cruise in November - kinda of suspicious that they all seemed to have the same complaints.

 

   

 

 

We are booked on the Explorer this coming April, Tokyo to Vancouver. The Explorer reviews here on Cruise Critic paint a picture of a poorly managed ship, especially in the Compass Rose and La Veranda dining rooms. We were on the Navigator, Ireland cruise, July 2022 and also experienced some of the described service issues but chalked that up to the Covid labor challenges .

Really looking forward to sailing on what looks like a beautiful ship, but should we be concerned? Wandering if Regent is aware of these awful reviews and have taken steps to improve in these areas?

On 11/17/2023 at 11:35 PM, Keith1010 said:

Nice substitution.  

Istanbul is a terrific place to visit and we have had several overnights there which are special.

 

It's a wise decision to change the itinerary although very sad for Israel. I remember years ago when cruise lines stopped visiting Israel due to the suicide terrorist explosions and in 2007 Crystal sailing there as part of the World Cruise for the first time in many years. It was great that tourism return to Israel.  And hopefully it will in the future.

 

Keith 

Thanks!

New itinerary, looks interesting!

At Crystal, our unwavering commitment to our guests’ safety and security remains our top priority. In light of recent global events, particularly the crisis in Israel, we have been in continuous communication with our on-the-ground partners to closely monitor the evolving situation. Due to the region's delicate political dynamics, we have decided to cancel calls in Israel and some of the surrounding ports. While we understand the adjustment may not align with your client’s original vision, rest assured, we have orchestrated alternatives to ensure their voyage remains exceptional.

3 hours ago, bizinsider said:

Indeed it was! It was more than fine. No complaints.

Thanks!

Thank you for all the current Explorer reviews. We will be on the Explorer this coming April. We were on the Navigator in 2022 to Ireland - everything was pretty good considering there were still some covid restrictions. Tours were excellent!

But after reading some of these reviews it sure seems like Regent's marketing department is over promising and the Ship is under delivering what is being sold as a luxury cruise line? 

But we will be boarding the Explorer in April with open minds and positive thinking!🙂

On 11/11/2023 at 8:49 PM, bizinsider said:

We had read so many bad reviews of the Vibrant Tokyo pre-cruise that we braced ourselves for the worst... expecting a disorganized mess with bad guides, packed buses and unruly crowds.

 

As it turns out, our experience was just the opposite before the start of our trip to Bangkok, which started two days ago.

 

We can't say enough good things about Theo, who was the point person for the third party operator.. giving the daily overview as we waited for the buses. We also had no complaints about the guides. While they didn't give "guided tours," they were full of information and depending on the site, were a good combo of hand-holding and independence.

 

As for their English, it was better than expected.

 

Make no mistake, this is a group experience. But all in all, it was a surprisingly good experience... not to mention an excellent value. (As in free.)

 

My wife, Mary, who writes The Modern Postcard blog, will post a full review of the cruise (including the pre-cruise) here at the end of the trip.

 

Cheers,

Herb

 

Was your hotel the Tokyo Hilton? Thanks for the positive review!

2 hours ago, forgap said:

What tour are you doing?  We thought we would go it alone via train.  I found an interesting website for a walking tour which ends at the great Buddha.  As a teen, I visited Kamakura many times as we were posted nearby at the Yokosuka naval base.  
 

https://blog.japanwondertravel.com/hidden-places-kamakura-10168

We booked a private tour to the Tokyo countryside and then on the second day a private tour to Kamakura/ Enoshima.

We are on the North Pacific Passage, April 13-May 1, Tokyo to Vancouver. Have been to Tokyo before, very busy and crowded city. We figure the three hotel nights in Tokyo are "free/ included" so we are using the hotel as our base and have booked our own tours that go oustside of Tokyo, one of them going to Kamakura. This will be our second Regent cruise (did Ireland in 2022 on the Navigator). We have heard the Explorer is a beautiful ship.

Also, when the Russia port was cancelled, Regent added another Japan stop - other cruise lines may have just added another sea day - Regent did the right thing!

Tokyo restaurant suggestion - the shrimp tempura is not to miss!

27 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Who ever said anything about a flight on UA from HNL to MIA?

 

 

Are you talking about the airline confirmation code/number? 

22 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

Who ever said anything about a flight on UA from HNL to MIA?

 

 

Please show me a major airline that has one flight number for two connecting flights. The United flight was an example. 

On 10/6/2023 at 8:32 PM, FlyerTalker said:

 

Just so you don't get blindsided in the future.

 

"Direct" does NOT mean "non-stop".  A "direct" flight is one that has no change of flight number between A and B, but it may have both stops and aircraft changes along the way.  A "non-stop" flight is one that makes no stops between A and B.

 

At one time, Southwest had a "direct" flight from Baltimore to Oakland.  It only made EIGHT stops along the way, but it was "direct" because the flight number never changed.

 

BWI-BNA-MSY-DAL-HOU-ABQ-PHX-LAS-LAX-OAK

 

So don't just assume that if you are told a flight is "direct" that you will be on a non-stop.

 

 

Incorrect. For each leg there is a different flight number. Example: A United flight from Honolulu to Miami is UA 252 to Houston and UA 2442 to Miami.

On 9/19/2023 at 9:45 AM, Opiwan said:

Are you allowed to use SeatGuru to change seats if Viking Air is making your flight arrangements? I selected aisle seats across from each other for my DH and myself (especially on the domestic flights) because he has rather long legs (38" inseam) and I have some mobility issues. We are flying Business Class on the international flights so I'm not so worried about those.

We're also traveling with friends, but they are only doing Premium Economy. Who knows, we might not even end up on the same flights.

SeatGuru is not connected to any airlines, it just provides seat maps and seat recommendations.