Random Notes, Explorer Maiden Voyage, LIVE

[Saildude16]

There are actually 12 H suites according to Explorer's deck plan. In addition to the 6 suites forward on 6 deck, there are 2 more further aft on deck 6 and 4 more on 7 deck.

 

A "G" is 34 ft2 larger than an "H". The G has a walk-in closet, while the H does not. This may account for ~ 1/2 of the ft2 difference. The G appears to have a standard size sofa while the H may have a loveseat. That would indicate the remainder of the ft2 difference is in the "living area" part of the suite.

An H advantage is all balconies are 88 ft2. Most G2 verandas are ~55 ft2. G1's are larger than G2's.

 

I stand to be corrected by those onboard now or who were on the christening voyage.

[poss]

I'm grateful to those of you who take the time to post about H, G, and F. All kind of dizzying at this point, but slowly the facts will emerge-- from the good foot soldiers on board-- with true clarity. I certainly hope so. Too bad that the Regent reps cared only about responding to "higher-end" questions.

[rarin2go]

We have good friends on board in a G cabin. Upon my walk thru of their cabin, it seems similar to the standard Mariner cabin. We spent 60 days on the Mariner on our South America circumnavigation cruise and did just fine. If you want something more similar to the standard Voyager cabin, you may want to go with the F1 or F2 category. The F1/F2's have the shower and a separate tub, plus a larger closet than the G cabins. They also have the larger balcony and double sinks. The closet in the G cabin is definitely smaller than the standard Mariner closet but certainly doable IMO.

 

Thanks very much for that. We decided against an H on Explorer because it was stated to be smaller than the H Mariner cabins and we believed that the G cabins would be the same size as the Mariner cabins, so it is a great relief to find that that is the case! We have never managed to fill the Mariner closet so that is not a problem either and we are quite happy with just a shower. Thanks again :)

[Travelcat2]

Reverting to the lower grade suite sizes. According to the brochure H on Explorer are 219 sq. ft. But there are only 6 of them. The next category up is G which is 253 sq. ft. compared with H-D on Mariner which are 252 sq. ft. So G on Explorer are not that bad for those of us who have sailed on the Mariner. However, the smallest suites on Voyager and Navigator are just over 300 sq.ft., so much roomier.

 

To add to what you and rarin2go posted. I posted the following on the other thread. While I don't typically post the same thing on two threads, this subject is a bit confusing and the more information, the better IMO.

 

....just looked at the diagrams again and looked at my photos of the G1 suite (on the Christening thread). They appear very similar except the size. From what we saw and were told, the concierge suites and F1 suites are identical except for the amenities in the concierge level suites. F2 is the same size as F1 but with a smaller balcony.

 

poss, hope you are reading this........ the G1 and G2 are the same size but the G1 has a smaller balcony. The H category appears to be a smaller version of the "G" category with the balcony size being the same as G1.

 

IMO, it would be helpful to guests if Regent changed the designations for these suites as it is confusing. I had to re-look at the F1/F2 and G1/G2 three times as I was sure I was making a mistake. However, unless the website is incorrect, in the "F" category , The F2 balcony is larger than F1 but in the "G" category G1 is larger than F2. Even trying to write this is confusing.

 

I must admit that I forgot how small the Mariner suites are. It seems that, as with Regent's sister company, Oceania, some passengers have preferred the older ships and some passengers prefer the newer ones. This could be the case with the Regent ships. If a category "H" on the Voyager were less $$$ than on the Explorer and the itinerary is right, the choice may be for the Voyager. IMO, there is no bad choice on Regent.

Edited July 26, 2016 by Travelcat2

[Mr Rumor]

The Explorer had its first evacuation today. A female passenger was removed by boat in the early afternoon. Captain Stan came over the PA to explain why the ship had slowed down. I didn't probe to learn the details, but did hear this evening that the passenger's health issue wasn't life-threatening.

 

We were engrossed in Alan Stern's excellent morning talk on "The Exploration of Pluto by New Horizons," the NASA mission that Stern headed. I had no idea what an uphill battle it is to get funding for a project such as Pluto--in Stern & Co.'s case, upwards of ten years. Then after the $1 billion project finally received approved, it took four years to design the spacecraft. (Stern described that period as "The Blur," when he took 232 separate trips around the country to guide the design work.) Then, when the spacecraft was finally launched in January of 2006, it took another nine years for the craft to make the three-billion-mile journey. During that time, Stern's team did not sit idly by, but rather built and tested the software needed for the Pluto flybys. During these years, Stern said, the mission "could have failed 1000 different ways, but yet it didn't." In the end, the mission was, and continues to be, a big success (data will continue to be received through the fall) and Stern's dream of a Page One story in the New York Times "above the fold" was realized. "People crave exploration," he concluded. "We reached for the farthest shores and the result has been spectacular. What a complex world we discovered three billion miles away, alive and on the very frontier of human knowledge." If you're not up on the New Horizons mission to Pluto, I encourage you to Google it. The photos (we were treated to many) are fantastic.

 

It was a wonderful afternoon to be around the pool, for those who are so inclined, such as Ginny. At 4 we reconnected with our trivia mates for Chocoholics Tea Time (the spread was only about half the size of prior Chocoholics teas, but, piece for piece, just as rich and decadent). Fueled by the devilishly delicious offerings we scored third in trivia.

 

The surprise performer at the Seven Seas Society reception in the Constellation Theater was none other than CD Ray, who performed several numbers. Dinner in Compass Rose was great for two reasons: 1.) Miso-Glazed Bass and 2.) Having the honor of sitting across the table from the Maiden Voyage's oldest passenger, who is six months shy of turning 100. I'm happy to report that the dear gentleman spent a small portion of his afternoon today in the gym working out in his wheelchair!

 

Rich

 

P.S. Suite Travels, thanks for the feedback on the wine menu photos. I took another look at them and they are slightly blurry. So either the menus will be reshot or I'll make a little time to type up the Chartreuse and Pacific Rim wine lists.

Edited July 26, 2016 by Mr Rumor

[Travelcat2]

Hi Rich -- I typed up the Chartreuse menu on the Christening thread so you may want to save yourself a bit of time on that. Also typed up the appetizers from Pacific Rim but not the amazing "drinks" menu or the entrees.

 

Your reporter's eye picked up something that we did not....... that the lovely photographs on the walls by the suites have a different theme on each deck. Sounds like you had a great sea day!

 

Anchorbuoy: You discovered the little secret that we did not learn until the end of the cruise -- the two computers in the library. I was waiting for someone to discover them:) Unlike the computers in the Business Center, they are not connected to a printer.

 

One more comment about the suites on the Explorer without confusing the issue with balcony sizes:

 

Concierge "D" and "E" as well as F1 and F2 suites - 332 sq. ft.

 

G1 and G2 suites - 253 sq. ft.

 

"H" suites - 219 sq. ft.

 

Mariner suites D - H - 252 sq. ft.

Voyager suites D - H - 306 sq. ft.

 

Navigator suites D - H - 301 sq. ft.

Edited July 26, 2016 by Travelcat2

[JPR]

Thanks, TC2. That data confirms what I posted yesterday: Explorer's Superior Suites and Concierge Suites are larger than the basic suites on any other Regent ship...and larger than the Concierge Suites on those other ships. You have to go to a Penthouse Suite on Mariner to find a larger suite. Frankly, I prefer the layout of these Explorer Suites to its larger Penthouse Suites. YMMV...

Edited July 27, 2016 by JPR

[JMARINER]

I thought that the Explorer smaller suites, now Cat H, were originally intended as singles.

 

j

[Mr Rumor]

Good morning from our anchor spot off Naxos. The tenders have just begun to run for the Taormina excursions. This will be our third visit to Taormina, and we are splurging on the Taormina and Lunch in a Private Villa excursion ($199 upcharge). This is the villa that was featured in a couple of famous "Godfather" scenes.

 

It's nice to have our internet back! I had come to take our good connection for granted over the last week, so it was jarring to be down for almost three hours this morning, due to EMC/MTN doing some new software implementation. Fortunately, I now compose my posts in Notes on my iPad exclusively, so I didn't lose the post below, written early this a.m.:

 

I'm just out of the shower. That would be TMI except for the fact that I was reminded of another "Like": the towels. The big Regent bath towels I'd grown so accustomed to on the other ships have been replaced by smaller "Micro Cotton" white (with a gray stripe) towels by Corinelli. They do the job just fine, and, scale-wise they're a better fit for our bathroom.

 

Ginny and I had the opportunity to walk our friends' Penthouse suite after trivia yesterday. We have booked a Penthouse for the Explorer TA in November, so we were interested to see our future lodging, and to make comparisons with our Concierge cabin. The result: We prefer the Concierge.

 

I don't think there's anything we don't like about the design of the Concierge suite. I have already noted such Loves as the separate bath and shower, the marble shelf that runs the length of the bathroom counter, and the huge amount of storage space. I also want to add how much we enjoy our generously-sized walk-in closet.

 

Then there is the room's design itself. We love our bed "facing out" to the veranda and ocean beyond. And we like the amount of room between the bed and the wall and sliding glass door, giving the room a fairly spacious feel. We haven't dined in our room yet, but when we do it will be a snap to move the desk chair into that space next to the square coffee table, with the other sitting on the couch.

 

By contrast, I have quibbles with the Penthouse design, which includes the foyer area, which seems to me be too large, and, thus, somewhat of a waste of space. (In fairness, I want to add that our friends enjoy having breakfast in their room in a corner of the space, at a small table for two). We also were surprised by the fact that there is only a (very large) shower. Why a separate bath and adequately sized shower for Concierge and only a shower for the next category up, I wonder.

 

Also the Penthouse bathroom is missing the marble shelf that runs the length of the counter, the walk-in closet is not as generously sized as the Concierge, and there doesn't appear to be quite as much storage space.

 

However, one aspect of the Penthouse's design that we were aware of and prepared to dislike--namely the separation, by a wall sporting TVs on each side, of the room into "bedroom" and "living room" segments--is not really an issue for us. While it does seem to make the room look smaller, we liked the homey feel of the living room area, and the couch looked comfy. I could see ourselves spending time there.

 

These are first impressions, and thus subject to change once we take up residence in our Penthouse suite this fall. But for us, for now, the Concierge is the winner in our Concierge-Penthouse "taste test"--and, of course, it is cheaper!

 

Rich

[Mr Rumor]

Looking forward to a tender return to Taormina! Our meet time in the Constellation Theater is a few minutes away. . . .

 

 

 

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[eliana]

Mr Rumor, I found your comparison of the Penthouse and Concerge suites very informative. Superior suites seem to have the same dimensions as Concierge, are their layouts the same?

[Zqueeze1]

Mr. Rumor:

 

Thanks so much for your comparison of Penthouse vs. Concierge suits since you have now settled our uncertainties as to whether we should have reserved a Penthouse for the upcoming Nov TA. You, Jackie, and other contributors have filled in a lot of blanks regarding the Explorer. Looking forward to meeting you in November.

 

Z and TB

[lincslady]

I have been following this thread with interest. I think I now understand why people are wondering about the various suite types - I looked at my 'Cruise Atlas' and see that there are photographs of the suites, but no plans. Given the choice, I would always prefer to see a plan, as some other lines do. Gives you more idea of what a suite is like, IMO.

[Portolan]

I have been following this thread with interest. I think I now understand why people are wondering about the various suite types - I looked at my 'Cruise Atlas' and see that there are photographs of the suites, but no plans. Given the choice, I would always prefer to see a plan, as some other lines do. Gives you more idea of what a suite is like, IMO.

 

 

The plans are on the Regent site. Go here: https://www.rssc.com/ships/seven_seas_explorer/suites/default.aspx#Content,

choose the suite type you are interested in, and then not that below the picture it says "Room Photo" and "Room Layout." It's not obvious that these are selectable tabs. Just click on "Room Layout" and you'll have your plan.

[lincslady]

Useful information, Portolan. I am a bit surprised, in view of this, that so many people have been asking lots of questions about the suites; maybe they don't know about this tool and will find it helpful.

 

I am only rather vicariously interested in Regent and the Explorer, as we took our last Regent cruise last year after several but not for a few years, and I am sorry to say did not rate it.

[liptastic]

Mr Rumour continuing to enjoy your posts very much. Thanks for giving the comparison between concierge and penthouse cabins. From looking online and at the photos I would be happy to chose concierge for sure. The wall in penthouse cabin makes the floor space smaller and possibly darker inside?

Enjoy your lunch excursion today. Jean.

[eliana]

The plans are on the Regent site. Go here: https://www.rssc.com/ships/seven_seas_explorer/suites/default.aspx#Content,

choose the suite type you are interested in, and then not that below the picture it says "Room Photo" and "Room Layout." It's not obvious that these are selectable tabs. Just click on "Room Layout" and you'll have your plan.

 

Thanks Portolan. That has resolved a lot of questions.

[Anchorbuoy]

On another thread, Poss requested photos on a category G suite, from those of us onboard. Here are a few pictures of a G2. This is the table and living room.

 

 

 

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[Anchorbuoy]

Single chair in a G2

 

 

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[Anchorbuoy]

Bedroom area in a G2.

I was surprised to see the bed is smaller than a penthouse bed .

The G2 bed measures roughly 64 x 75 inches.

The penthouse bed measures 76 x 75 inches.

 

 

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[eliana]

Bedroom area in a G2.

I was surprised to see the bed is smaller than a penthouse bed .

The G2 bed measures roughly 64 x 75 inches.

The penthouse bed measures 76 x 75 inches.

 

 

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For comparison what's the size of the concierge and F suite beds.

[Anchorbuoy]

G2 balcony with 2 chairs and a table.

 

Sofa

 

Closet

 

 

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[Anchorbuoy]

G2 bathroom

 

Shower

 

Entry area, with bathroom door mirror.

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

Rich, thank you for your comparison of the PH and concierge suites. We agree with your assessment. It is also interesting to note that the sinks and counter in the concierge suite (same as F1 and F2) are larger (actually the counters are longer) than in most other suites. Even the glorious Regent suite's master bathroom has smaller sinks and counter (although everything else is over the top). Also, the closet is about twice the size in the concierge suite over the PH suite.

 

Regarding the shower only in PH suites, this was discussed some months ago. Rather than have a small bathtub and shower, Regent decided to go with one large shower. IMO, it isn't a big deal as the shower only suites on the Mariner are the most popular.

 

We were fortunate to be able to tour the different suite levels on two occasions during our cruise. It becomes confusing because many look alike but the sizes of the suites and balconies are different. We felt that all of the suites were a good size and well laid out (but did not view category "H").

 

Of all of the suites, the biggest surprise to us was the Seven Seas Suite - really lovely! The Explorer suites are also beautiful but I'm not fond of the locations.

 

I'm sure that we will hear more about the suites in the coming months.

Edited July 27, 2016 by Travelcat2

[1teach53]

On another thread, Poss requested photos on a category G suite, from those of us onboard. Here are a few pictures of a G2. This is the table and living room.

 

 

 

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We really appreciate your G2 photo posts, and to all posting live! We will be in a G2 on the Nov TA cruise. On a RSS ship the lowest cat cabin thrills us!! We don't spend that much time in the cabin. So much to enjoy on the beautiful ships especially The Explorer! Can't wait to experience it first hand.

Thanks again.

Karen