Explorer's Inaugural Atlantic Crossing: A Joint Live Blog

[Zqueeze1]

Note: the follwoing was written over 24 hours ago, but unable to post due to internet connection/Sangria.

 

We certainly had a fun time yesterday on our Malaga Tapas Crawl attended by TC2, TNR, Mudhen and husband, and Z and TB. We went to three tapas bars and had everything from ham croquettes to octopus, great bread, chorizo, empanadas, Iberian ham, and Manchego cheese. We had plenty of Sangria with the first one being the best. We saw part of a concert followed by a cacophony of noise while the stage was dismantled and enjoyed the excellent translation from a Spanish menu not knowing that the group had English menus. This is a beautiful city with the character of Barcelona and the charm of a seaside Italian town.

 

Dinner was at Pacific Rim and it was OK. Nothing was spicy although I asked for it and there just seemed to be a lack of a theme flowing through the dishes. However, I will give it one more try and order more to my taste.

 

Today marks our long awaited for Meet and Greet at the Meridian Lounge. Kudos to Jackie for trailblazing and opening up some doors for us to make this into what promises to be an epic gathering. I hope to post some pics from it later on today.

 

Seas are getting rougher due to weather and being out in the Atlantic, I guess. We are not sleeping well since we have a whistling gremlin in our room. Our balcony door isn't sealing properly and whistles all night long. We are hoping that maintenance will be able to resolve the issue today.

 

Z and TB

[Zqueeze1]

Rich: in order to protect the guilty, I will change my math logic. Since I am a Newyorican, I gave myself a .5. There are also two other ladies from the island, so, ergo, 2.5 PRs.

 

Z and TB

[Zqueeze1]

Our much anticipated Meet and Greet (M&G) event finally occurred and it was a big success. I estimate that approximately 50 folks participated as well as members of the senior staff and crew. Thanks were given to those that made this event a success in planning it as well as Regent's involvement. Regent was very generous in their hospitality and provided some excellent hors d'ouvres and kept a steady flow of sangria, bloody marys, and mimosas to all guests.

 

 

Regent apparently does not provide much assistance in CC events. But, in our case, their unprecedented level of effort guaranteed a successful outing as they bent over backwards to meet our requests during planning and in the number of officers and crew attending our M&G.

 

The captain was present for at least an hour and asked spoke openly and proudly about the ship. He mentioned that he had over 250 pages worth of notes and recommendations for Regent's next vessel. He even spoke about his family and life at sea. The Captain was very interested in our opinion of the vessel and any problems we may be experiencing.

 

The rest of the day was a blur that included a three hour nap (thank you reception for ear plugs). Dinner was excellent, but I am finding myself eating about the same thing every night we eat at Compass Rose: lobster salad, Maine lobster tail, and steak. Life is tough. We skipped the show last night which was part two of two fine Irish violinists and in bed by ten.

 

Tomorrow: tea in Madeira.

 

Z and TB

 

 

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Edited November 22, 2016 by Zqueeze1

[Mr Rumor]

Good morning from outside Funchal. How about a quick dip in the pool? We did a little dance called "The Loco-Motion" last night and early this morning, so land will be a welcome sight indeed!

 

 

 

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[Mr Rumor]

Thanks, Funchal, for the rainbow welcome!

 

 

 

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[Zqueeze1]

We are in Funchal and are welcomed by a beautiful rainbow.

 

Z and TB

[Snackdaddy]

Hello Zqueeze1,

Thank you for taking the time to write and for your wonderful pictures. Keep them coming.

One question. Our 12/28/16 Panama Canal cruise, on the Explorer, is right around the corner and we too would like to arrange a Meet and Greet. If you have any tips on how to organize the event we would really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

Stay safe.

Paul

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

Hi Paul - I'm sure that "Z" will respond but I want to stick in my two cents. I have arranged many M&G's and have never seen one like we had this week. Some people try to arrange it through the Cruise Director (not sure why) and there is some chatter about Regent Corporate assisting (they would be the last people I would contact since they are not aware of everything going on while onboard.)

 

First, it is important to note that the M&G that I started working on with the F&B Director and was later taken over by "Z" was for 60+ CC'ers - a really large group by Regent standards. Usually there are a dozen or so and Regent may provide coffee and tea. The Explorer is different than any of the other ships since the "Café" (aka Coffee Connection) is across the hall from the Meridian Lounge (that does typically open until 5:00 p.m. I am guessing that they made it available to us due to the sheer number of passengers involved. They did provide Bloody Mary's and Sangria for our group (ordered well in advance) and those wishing coffee or tea could get it across the hall. Again, assuming it was due to the large number of passengers, they were able to do canapes a well.

 

Having all officers there was also unusual as they are usually quite busy. Usually one of two will stop by.

 

Most M&G's are done in the Observation Lounge which, IMO, used to be a good venue but would not be my choice on the Explorer for anything other than a small M&G since it almost always has people in it (but the bar is open at noon).

 

Most M&G's are very informal. You tell the group on Roll Call where and when to meet and they show up (usually when the bar is open). We have found that the first night is not the best time to have it --people are tired, unpacking, going to muster, etc. A sea day is perfect and in the morning is also good. In our case, we were arriving in port at noon so a 10:00 a.m. M&G worked for everyone.

 

That is all that I can think of. For future M&G's, unless they are exceptionally large, I'd go the "informal" way and check to see if the time you want to have it conflicts with other events. In our case, it did conflict with a couple of things (cooking classes & bridge) but there is no way that everyone can be accommodated.

 

I wouldn't be overly concerned about a M&G - just enjoy yourselves (and enjoy the beautiful ship). The most important thing about a M&G is meeting fellow passengers and that is very easy to set up:)

Edited November 22, 2016 by Travelcat2

[Snackdaddy]

Hi Jackie--Thank you very much for your suggestions, wisdom and insight. Your comments are always appreciated and very helpful. I'll loop back to you and let you know how things turned out.

 

Thank you again for taking the time to respond. Keep enjoying yourselves and the Explorer.

 

Regards to Dennis.

 

Paul

[flossie009]

Good morning from outside Funchal. How about a quick dip in the pool? We did a little dance called "The Loco-Motion" last night and early this morning, so land will be a welcome sight indeed!

 

You have obviously experienced some rough seas. How does the new ship handle the swell?

 

Also, did Captain Stan comment on how the Explorer handles, compared to his old love, the Mariner?

 

 

Hope you had a fine day in Madeira.............with an enjoyable toboggan ride :)

[Portolan]

Scott, look forward to sailing with you and Judy again; it has been a long time. BTW, my step-father Chuck, who you met on Norway cruise (I believe) will be with us.

 

Marc

 

Yup, we remember you all. We you in the spring!

[Portolan]

Yup, we remember you all. We you in the spring!

 

Gaahh...See you in the spring!

[Mr Rumor]

Captain Stan returned to our rooms last night as we departed Funchal to share what he termed more "bad news"--the Atlantic isn't done with us yet. "We will have swells again, 12 feet tonight, and most of the day tomorrow, with winds of 25 knots." He said the "rolling, pitching" motion would return (he was right!), but that in about 36 hours the weather would improve (swells down to six or seven feet). That's a little over 24 hours from now.

 

I'm typing this very early in the morning, as after four hours of sleep I find myself very awake. One thing I like about our penthouse is that I can relocate in the "living room" away from Ginny, I closed the two sliding doors that fit into the room divider to literally shut DW off from the light, but, as soon as I did, the two doors slammed open, and then shut again, due to the motion. I returned one of our carry-ons to its position by one of the doors to prevent both of them doing this again and waking Ginny up in a start.

 

Through the "swell" conditions, the Explorer seems to be performing just fine. Flossie, I will see if I can buttonhole Captain Stan for his far more educated opinion on this.

 

Our gorgeous rainbow welcome to Funchal proved to be a good omen. We had nothing more than sprinkles for our visit mixed with bursts of sunshine. We enjoyed our half-day tour comprised of a tram ride up to the village of Monte, the legendary 10-minute toboggan ride down (Hemingway called it "a great adventure"--while I wouldn't go that far I'd love to do it again), a walk of the botanical gardens (nice views of the Explorer) and a visit to an embroidery merchant (DW scored with a couple of table placements with a poinsettia design). Another rainbow greeted our return to the ship.

 

Rachel, when F&B Director Daniela checked in on us at dinner in Compass Rose last night, I relayed your and George's greetings. She smiled and asked that I say hi to you. I also told her once again how much the Cruise Critic members on board appreciated her for her awesome work on the M&G. Daniela is already at it again on our behalf, reserving most, if not all, of favorite waiter Max's station for a CC Thanksgiving dinner.

 

Well, I think I'll pay my earliest visit yet to the gym for another go at the exercycle and treadmill. Haven't missed a day yet, and if I keep at it I might even be able to offset, in calories burned, one slice of Prime 7's 14-Layer chocolate cake!

 

Rich

[Zqueeze1]

Snack daddy: one recommendation for setting up a formal M&G (i.e. Regent assistance) is to make sure that you have everyone's last names as well as cabin numbers in order to make any last minute notifications or invites.

 

Well, we continue to cancel tours as The Boss has had a cold since we boarded and now I have a recurring cough. I think we may have to have a quiet Thanksgiving day and focus on recuperating. I may even give up on my precious cocktail hours.

Last night's prime rib was awesome although overly generous in size (I'm not complaining).

 

 

I have to admit that our fellow cruisers are some of the nicest ones we've had the pleasure to cruise with in a long time. Not one complaint regarding how the crew is being treated by passengers nor have we seen any unacceptable behavior.

 

Here's one more shot of yesterday's incredible rainbows:

 

Z and TB

 

 

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Edited November 23, 2016 by Zqueeze1

[Mr Rumor]

Good morning from the Atlantic-- it's Sea Day No. 2. Assistant waiter Jeffrey has just prepared my morning breakfast drink (banana, carrot, cantaloupe and pineapple--yum!).

 

 

 

 

 

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[Mudhen]

Fabulous ship, fabulous food, fabulous friends, fabulous weather......ok, well, I lied about that last one!

It's hard to know where to start about all of the above. The ship is sailing pretty nicely considering we're having heavy seas and wind. There are a few areas where doors are kind of goofy...they whistle or howl or both, but they'll get that figured out, no doubt. A couple of niggles about furnishings, but certainly nothing to get in a twist over.The food EVERWHERE has been wonderful! Service excellent as well. We've so enjoyed the other passengers, our roll call buds and all of the nice things that Regent has done for us. As everyone has commented, the M&G was over the top wonderful!

Since the computer is pretty slow, I'll stop now and let someone else have go. If I don't appear on CC again, until Thanksgiving, we send our best wishes to all for a safe and Happy Turkey day!

Linda and John

[Zqueeze1]

We were unable to pay this pic earlier due to bandwidth problems. This pic is for John and Karen who were unable to make the cruise.

 

 

Z and TB

 

 

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[1teach53]

We were unable to pay this pic earlier due to bandwidth problems. This pic is for John and Karen who were unable to make the cruise.

 

 

Z and TB

 

 

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Ohhhhhhh Z, we miss you guys SO much!!!

Hanging on every word everyone posts!

 

Z, are you taking a double dose of cholesterol meds???? Lol!! ;)

Have a blast!!!!

Hugs!!

[Snackdaddy]

Hello Zqueeze1,

 

Thanks so much for your suggestions on setting up a Meet and Greet. You and Jackie are a Meet and Greet dynamic duo for sure.

 

Continue enjoying your cruise.

 

All the best,

 

Paul

 

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

John and Karen - we talk about you and think about you every day. Hope all is well.

 

The crossing is going well despite the weather (which is too warm for me - 70 degrees). IMO, the Mariner remains the most stable ship in the fleet in rough seas but the Explorer is more stable than the Voyager or Navigator (for what it's worth).

 

Lots of things happening on sea days. Just returned from a wine tasting. This morning we attended a cooking demonstration put on by the Executive Chef (who is arguably the best chef on Regent).

 

It is important to keep in mind that the Explorer is under "warranty". So, the little "niggles" will be fixed. It seems to mainly be issues with doors and wind. We are not bothered or concerned about this. This is the first time that the ship has encountered really rough seas and I feel that she does quite well.

 

I have been listening to conversations from other passengers (my DH thinks that I have "stealth hearing") and it seems that people from the U.S. are quite impressed with the ship while passengers from other parts of the world may have different expectations. As has been said before on this thread, some people want to list everything that is wrong and complain while others look at everything that is right and appreciate it. Every single CC'er that we have spoken to is in the last category.

 

We had an amazing lunch in Chartreuse today. We really appreciate the fact that two of the specialty restaurants are open every other day for lunch (i.e. P7 seven one day and Chartreuse the next). Compass Rose is still the overwhelming favorite.

 

That' it for now.

[Nicho99]

Just a quick question to those currently on board. What is the most popular bar or lounge on the Explorer? Is there adequate seating in your views?

 

Dennis

[ronrick1943]

We were unable to pay this pic earlier due to bandwidth problems. This pic is for John and Karen who were unable to make the cruise.

Z and TB

 

 

Was this taken in Prime7 or CR?

Rick

[Mr Rumor]

Nicho99, we've enjoyed a pre-dinner drink and the music of Nature's Rhythm Trio in the Explorer Lounge, as well as a pre-dinner drink with Cruise Critic friends and Tea Time/Trivia in the Observation Lounge. While both lounges are popular, we have had a good choice of seats each time.

 

Happy to report that even before Captain Stan's noon weather report we could feel the worst of the motion was behind us. The captain confirmed this by noting that swells were down to 8-9 feet by noon, with winds quieting to 15 knots. Even with the weather conditions, the Explorer had averaged 17 knots an hour since Funchal. The captain concluded that even with the likelihood of rain showers over the next two days, the weather looks "really good" for the rest of the crossing.

 

Today was an easygoing day, with a movie in our room in the morning, the Backyard

BBQ on the Pool Deck, a Smithsonian lecture, and Trivia. In a few minutes we'll be off to dinner in Chartreuse followed by magician Peter Wardell in the Constellation Theater.

 

Rich

[1teach53]

Jackie, thank you for your very kind words! I was so looking forward to meeting you both!

I had a file of our furry babies pictures to share. ;)

Since we are not on board you have a big job helping Pam keep Mr Z in line!!

Pam, cheer with " a little pink drink" for me!

Everyone, have a blast!!!

You have not idea how we wish we were with you.

Karen

[Travelcat2]

Just a quick question to those currently on board. What is the most popular bar or lounge on the Explorer? Is there adequate seating in your views?

 

Dennis

 

Interesting question as we are having difficulty with most lounges at the moment (I believe that the person controlling the sound level is hard of hearing -- not making a joke as it is not funny). In all of our Regent cruises we have not found the volume of pre-dinner entertainment to be so loud. As much as we love Nature's Rhythm, the music is much too loud (and this is our favorite lounge - small and intimate). I reported this on our last cruise twice and nothing has changed.

 

I suppose that the most tolerable lounge is the Observation Lounge since you can at least hold a conversation (difficult to do in the Meridian or Explorer Lounge). Even the volume at the shows is deafening. We are seriously hoping that whomever is responsible for this will not be on the ship when we return in March.

 

On a happier note, we really enjoyed our first sea day of the crossing. Lots of things to do and very relaxing. Looking forward to spending Thanksgiving onboard!

 

P.S. Karen, I know that you are with us in spirit. Really hope that we cruise together in the future. Mr. Z was a bit under the weather when I saw him last. Hoping that he is much better tomorrow!

Edited November 23, 2016 by Travelcat2