The Emperor tries on Regents New er third hand "New" Clothes - Yes an Explorer review

[Emperor Norton]

Dinner that night was in Sette Mare. They close off 1/2 of La Veranda, and make the apps and dessert for the most part self service. Long story short, due to food and service issues we left almost immediately after sampling the entrees. This was my least favorite dining experience on the ship.

 

The shades try to block out the sun while showing you that either a pirate hid some treasure behind them or there was a defect that needed to be fixed.

 

The bread basket was a bit different than the other venues. I think the focaccia was the best one.

 

Carbonara.

 

The entree

 

With that lighting I kept expecting to see Barney or Tinky Winky.

 

I wonder if this lighting was pulled out of the Riviera

[Emperor Norton]

 

They seemed to be short some artwork

 

More on one side than the other apparently

 

 

View through the glass elevator on deck 4

[Emperor Norton]

Main seating area and stage of the bar outside Compass Rose

 

Seating on Deck 5 by Guest Services/Destination services.

 

Seating area for the coffee corner

 

Another bar, another stage

 

Seating area

 

Another bar

[Emperor Norton]

It wouldn't be a luxury cruise if someone didn't put their bare feet on the indoor furniture:rolleyes::eek:

[Emperor Norton]

The higher you went in the elevator the more clear things could become.

 

Unlike on Seabourn where I found the Observation bar to be normally filled at night on this cruise it was mostly dead.

[Suite Travels]

The downside of carrying less passengers will be less trip reports. It seems that even taking the lower passenger rates into account people on luxury lines seem less interested in blogging/posting about it (or those that do often head into cotton candy land). IMO/E.

 

Cotton Candy land and wearing rose colored glasses so true and gosh forbid you criticize anything on a luxury line.:eek:

 

Love your posts and pictures. The Explorer looks like a high end Vegas hotel.

[Emperor Norton]

Our next stop was Valletta, Malta where I found myself loathing the port authorities and the sparks of a revolution were lit.

 

 

More yachts without the room for even a Robinson R22. Tragic.

 

 

 

 

We did have to share customs and entry/exit control with this though:

[Travelcat2]

The downside of carrying less passengers will be less trip reports. It seems that even taking the lower passenger rates into account people on luxury lines seem less interested in blogging/posting about it (or those that do often head into cotton candy land). IMO/E.

 

Agree with completely. I often shake my head when I visit NCL - they have more posts in one day as Regent has in 3 months (assume this translates into how many "official" reviews are given.

 

Even though some art was still missing, it was just beginning to be put up when we were onboard so I'm seeing things that we haven't seen before.

 

In terms of the purple lighting........ there was one bar (next to the Casino) that did turn purple (as well as other colors). IMO, this bar is far superior than the one I'm referring to. Also, it's funny that I didn't notice the purple lights above the Jacuzzi's. The one night that we were on the pool deck, there were a lot of lights on so the Jacuzzi lighting didn't stand out so much.

 

Sorry to hear about your experience in Seti Mari. They have always seemed to have issues when it becomes crowded (not sure if it was crowded when you were there). For that reason, we will only go there early (6:30 p.m.) so that the service is on point and there are few other guests there.

 

We do not care for most of things you took a picture of (except the breadsticks and meat(?) balls but do enjoy the antipasti bar. It's too bad that Regent continues to have issues with this unique dining venue (meaning that some courses are buffet and others are not). I would have thought that they would have figured out the timing by now. In any case, we make a point to eat there at least once per cruise (and it has to be a night when they have Osso Buco).

 

Pictures are great!

[irishwitchy]

What time is it that no one is around? I'm happy I wasn't on that cruise, I have been known to sit that way also, so I would have been in your picture. She did take the shoes off, as I would have done also.

[Emperor Norton]

When you stepped off the gangplank in Valletta you were maybe 30 feet from the gates to the street. If only it were that simple to get out. Instead of setting up a checkpoint at the nearest gate you had to walk down the pier a ways and then find a way out through a maze of passages and shops (Ok maybe I wasn't trying THAT hard to find my way out initially).

 

At first, walking along the waterfront promenade was nice, if not overly reminiscent of Fishermans Wharf or parts of say Sydney.

 

If you see one of these you're probably in the wrong part of town.

 

The walk did serve as a quick reminder that Europeans still seem to love smoking. Also that there's a surprising price range on Maltese crosses.

 

I think this poor call box has lost its way.

 

I wanted to be up there, but the exit I found was nowhere near there.

 

You get the impression that they were a bit worried about unwanted callers.

 

Some places looked like "unique" fixer uppers

[Emperor Norton]

One of the few places I saw with a word that wasn't English.

 

That's a lot of wall.

 

 

I avoided the international snack bar.

 

 

Can anyone translate this?

[Emperor Norton]

 

So after a walk into what was apparently the wrong end (or part) of town I went back to the ship. All I had to do was go all the way back the way I came and then go through a duty free shop overloaded with people. I very much dislike the port authorities here and how they set things up.

 

It was very hot this day so perhaps this Bourbon wasn't the most refreshing choice (I should have asked for a Mint Julep)

 

Unlike on Seabourns Odyssey class ships I was enable to enjoy the Pool Bar. In the shade.

 

 

 

[Emperor Norton]

 

 

 

After relaxing a bit at the bar passengers started to return from tours. Whispers were made about a horror some had experienced but other escaped from unscathed: A tour bus without functional A/C (It was a hot day I think over 94). Today it was chalked up as "not everything goes your way". But a spark had been made.

 

Tonight was very hard on the staff, having to work in the heat in their formal wear.

 

 

 

[iamheisenberg]

With that lighting I kept expecting to see Barney or Tinky Winky.

 

I don't care about conventional wisdom, Tinky Winky is blue!

 

 

There is no purple in ROY G. BIV! So why would they make Tinky Winky purple when all the other Teletubbies are rainbow colors?

 

Barney, however, is purple, and this lighting is fuchsia:

 

[Emperor Norton]

 

Dinner tonight was in Compass Rose.

 

Poached Egg with Truffle Oil over toast with a puree. Sadly I don't believe any truffles were harmed in the making of this dish.

 

An Empanada. I wish some line would hire a chef from Mexico/South America to teach the staff how to make some authentic food from around there.

 

As they say "The Spice Must Flow". Sadly it was diverted around this pasta dish.

 

Hello my little unctuous sous vide animal protein

 

To finish the night some profiteroles

 

Next stop: Nowhere, somewhere in the Med.

[BarbarianPaul]

These pictures are beautiful. Our November explorer cruise also stops in Valletta, and seeing these images makes me eager to explore the port more. Re the ship's interior, I think it looks great! If I wanted understatement, I wouldn't choose "the most luxurious ship ever built." The colorful lighting adds a little extra glitz...and what's wrong with a little glitz?

 

 

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[freddie]

Emperor - While I am enjoying your blog enormously, finding a blog that is not functioning as a commercial for Regent to be refreshing, I must ask you whether your photos are deliberately making the ship's public areas look gaudy. Do you have a special "gaudy filter" on your camera or are the public areas in fact as Las Vegas/South Beach as they appear in your photos?

 

Although some people may have found the understated color palettes of the older Regent ships, like the Seabourn triplets and the Silversea ships, to be a bit unexciting, we have always enjoyed that standard of décor. Lordie, how much purple can one endure, no??

[Emperor Norton]

I don't care about conventional wisdom, Tinky Winky is blue!

 

 

There is no purple in ROY G. BIV! So why would they make Tinky Winky purple when all the other Teletubbies are rainbow colors?

 

Barney, however, is purple, and this lighting is fuchsia:

 

 

Respectfully - from the Teletubbies Wiki -

Tinky Winky (played by Dave Thompson and Simon Shelton in the original series and by Jeremiah Krage in the revival series)[15][16] is the first Teletubby, as well as the largest and oldest of the group. He is covered in purple terrycloth and has a triangular antenna on his head. He almost always carries a red bag.

[iamheisenberg]

Respectfully - from the Teletubbies Wiki -

Tinky Winky (played by Dave Thompson and Simon Shelton in the original series and by Jeremiah Krage in the revival series)[15][16] is the first Teletubby, as well as the largest and oldest of the group. He is covered in purple terrycloth and has a triangular antenna on his head. He almost always carries a red bag.

Respectfully noted!

 

But the image I posted above is from that same Wiki page. And he is blue!

 

http://teletubbies.wikia.com/wiki/Tinky-Winky

[Emperor Norton]

Emperor - While I am enjoying your blog enormously, finding a blog that is not functioning as a commercial for Regent to be refreshing, I must ask you whether your photos are deliberately making the ship's public areas look gaudy. Do you have a special "gaudy filter" on your camera or are the public areas in fact as Las Vegas/South Beach as they appear in your photos?

 

Although some people may have found the understated color palettes of the older Regent ships, like the Seabourn triplets and the Silversea ships, to be a bit unexciting, we have always enjoyed that standard of décor. Lordie, how much purple can one endure, no??

 

From the Oceania Riviera

 

 

 

 

I shoot RAW so no in camera processing.

 

Built before Oceania and Regents trip to the Violet side.

 

 

Edited August 26, 2016 by Emperor Norton

[Emperor Norton]

This was Radisson (on the Diamond) but nary a trace of purple and something that seems missing from Regents offerings today. Perhaps a replacement for Sette Mare.

 

SilverSea seems to have escaped the gaudy filter

 

The only purple I could find from Seabourn.

 

Club bar on the Pride used normal lighting

 

Found something. Odyssey class observation bar uses blue accent lighting. However most of it is under the bar.

 

And Seabourn does appear to have more of a marsupial infestation.

Edited August 26, 2016 by Emperor Norton

[Emperor Norton]

Respectfully noted!

 

But the image I posted above is from that same Wiki page. And he is blue!

 

http://teletubbies.wikia.com/wiki/Tinky-Winky

 

Definitely looks blue in the image you posted.:cool:

[RustyRollock]

Decor is such a subjective, personal thing but we are of the "less is more" school and found most of the public rooms on Explorer looked eye wateringly vulgar and, yes, cheap. A beautiful ship ruined by tacky Vegas bling. Just because it cost a lot doesn't make it "luxurious".

[Isklaar]

Those darned marsupials. They get everywhere!:D

 

The ship interiors look like some of the worst excesses of places such as Dubai. Gaudy and tacky to my eye.

 

Still enjoying the review (as usual) thanks for taking the time to post.

[Mudhen]

I, as well, have been enjoying the review and the wonderful pix! I could live with the interior (although I'm not thrilled with it) but the neon blue/purple lighting is awful. Whose idea was that? It obviously wasn't a woman's. All of us of "a certain" age will look like crypt keepers now......