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Explorer's Inaugural Atlantic Crossing: A Joint Live Blog

Mr Rumor

By Mr Rumor,
in Regent Seven Seas Cruises

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Nicho99

Nicho99

Posted
Posted (edited)
"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."

 

My wife and I too enjoy a pre-dinner drink in a convivial setting. We will happily try both and give our assessment.

 

Travelcat2 "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."

 

Your evaluations are invaluable. Would love to meet you and yours over a libation. You don't mince words which I find refreshing. If it is good, you state it. If needs improvement, you announce it to those who should listen and take note. I know you have run into resistance from time to time but I ask you to continue your unbiased opinions.

 

Still looking forward to our sailing on the 12/4 with Thanksgiving.

 

Dennis

Edited by Nicho99
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CruisetheCs

CruisetheCs

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Posted (edited)

 

Travelcat2 "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."

 

 

Dennis

 

I agree about the level of the sound. On the Venice-Israel cruise the sound level of all the live performances (including the theater) was uncomfortably loud for my taste. In one of the lounges, on request they did turn down the background music, but once the live music started it was back up to high volume. In the observation lounge the live piano music was so loud I found that it was not pleasant to carry on a conversation or simply to enjoy having a drink. I have never encountered this loud music problem on other Regent cruises.

Edited by CruisetheCs
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Zqueeze1 "Live from...." Rare

Zqueeze1

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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

 

 

 

CR

 

Feel awful with a cold from hell so I will lay off the boards for a while.

Z and TB

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited by Zqueeze1
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Bellaggio Cruisers

Bellaggio Cruisers

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Posted
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

 

Sorry I didn't have the pleasure to meet you. Hope all is well now. Perhaps another voyage. Happy Thanksgiving.

Sheila

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cruiseluv

cruiseluv

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Hello, one of the lucky ones aboard this great cruise! Just starting to catch up with the blog, thanks.

I must be getting hard of hearing because I haven't found the music loud in the lounges, maybe except Meridian. 0ur favorite lounge has become the Explores Lounge , out by Compass Rose. Almost by necessity we have needed to frequent this lounge as we have always had to wait to be seated in Compass Rose. Sometimes the wait has been upward of 30 mins. In all fairness they've asked if the two of us want to share a table as an option. I can't recall this ever happening to us in the other ships, maybe more frequently we were in groups. I find Compass Rose noise level in the center of the room almost unbearable , so we have opted for trying to be seated towards the back.

We also enjoy Observation lounge now that we have grown accustomed to the decor.

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Mr Rumor

Mr Rumor

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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?

 

Flossie, I put your question to Captain Stan. His response: "I was very happy with the way she handled, maybe even a little better than the Mariner. But we need a bigger test. So far, so good."

 

Rich

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flossie009

flossie009

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Flossie, I put your question to Captain Stan. His response: "I was very happy with the way she handled, maybe even a little better than the Mariner. But we need a bigger test. So far, so good."

 

Rich

 

Thanks, It is good to know that Explorer handles the seas well

 

Another question: Is there any noticeable difference (for either the passengers or the Captain) in having direct propulsion rather than directional Azipods on Explorer? e.g. noise, vibration, manoeuvring

 

Enjoy your sea days

Edited by flossie009
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Travelcat2

Travelcat2

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From a passenger perspective, we feel that the Mariner handles rough seas better than Explorer. However, this ship handles moderate seas quite well with a few jiggles here and there (which is to be expected on any ship). IMO, there are a few adjustments that need to be made to the ship that will make it a bit more comfortable for passengers in rough seas and in windy weather.

 

Keep in mind that she is new - still under warranty and this is her first transatlantic crossing. I suspect that our next crossing on the Explorer in March will be even better than this one (in terms of whistling in the suites, doors that need to be tweaked so they don't bang, etc.).

 

For us, even though the Mariner handles the seas almost perfectly, our favorite ship is Explorer followed by the Voyager (even with her aft vibration) and then Mariner.

 

Looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner this evening (being served in all the restaurants - CR, P7, Chartreuse and I think Pacific Rim). We continue to notice that the majority of passengers want to dine in CR (it has to be the new menu) and offers go out nightly to dine in a specialty restaurant rather than CR.

 

There are many people with colds on the ship (same as there was on the last segment). It is the season for that so for those of you cruising this winter, remember to pack medicines - just in case and to wash your hands a lot and be careful not to touch anything (railings, elevator buttons, etc.) and then touch your face.

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Travelcat2

Travelcat2

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Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Can I ask why so many Americans go away on this holiday? I'm 57 with a mom, kids, grandkids and a husband, if we ever said we are going on a vacation over thanksgiving everyone would be very unhappy. Just curious.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to you as well! Speaking for myself, we moved away from Los Angeles (not a great place to retire) and therefore do not live near our family and dislike traveling over the Thanksgiving weekend. Plus, we decided that we can be thankful and celebrate the holiday anytime. We plan on having Thanksgiving and the rest of the holidays in January:)

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mrlevin

mrlevin

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Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Can I ask why so many Americans go away on this holiday? I'm 57 with a mom, kids, grandkids and a husband, if we ever said we are going on a vacation over thanksgiving everyone would be very unhappy. Just curious.

 

I am 59, no mom, no kids, no grandkids, and a wife who loves to travel as much as I do. She loves turkey with all the trimmings whilst I love beef so cruising over the holidays has always worked out great for us.

 

Marc

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Mr Rumor

Mr Rumor

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"The holiday is wherever you happen to be"--l like the sound of that, Rick.

 

Thanks to Travelcat2 and Ray of tnr for arranging our Thanksgiving Cruise Critic dinner in Compass Rose. Twelve of us packed the Captain's Table, minus the captain, where the conversation flowed in several directions at once (it's a huge table). A great time was had, although we were missing Z and TB. Get better, Roberto!

 

The near-unanimous entree choice, turkey and trimmings (vegetarian Ginny was happy with her Vegetable Curry). Missing is the Mango and Cranberry Relish, which was served a couple of minutes later.

 

edcc67fa3d0c8916c2ede99d716afa5b.jpg

 

Honey-Braised Pumpkin Tart with Soft Marshmallow was a popular pick for dessert. (Making a guest appearance in the background is the Chocolate Charlotte with Vanilla Sauce.)

 

9113eb1c09a59871cbd318a28103f584.jpg

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited by Mr Rumor
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gnomie1

gnomie1

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Posted
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Can I ask why so many Americans go away on this holiday? I'm 57 with a mom, kids, grandkids and a husband, if we ever said we are going on a vacation over thanksgiving everyone would be very unhappy. Just curious.

 

Great question and one that is often asked of us - for almost fifty years, my Mom and Dad hosted Thanksgiving (actually, if I read your handle correctly, in a town very close to you) for upwards of 35 people and my Mom believed that everything must be made from scratch and the only thing that guests should bring is a hearty appetite. As my Mom would proclaim, Thanksgiving was her absolute favorite holiday because it was a happy occasion with no religious obligations and as an immigrant family, we embraced the American way. Although my family lives all over the country, everyone always came home for Thanksgiving and even after the house was sold, we all managed to live peacefully for four days in the condo. The first Thanksgiving after my Dad died was very difficult for my Mom and since that time, we have made arrangements to always be away during this time of year. Some family members were not happy with the change, but others took the opportunity to be able to use the day helping others who are less fortunate and have made a new tradition of spending Wednesday and Thursday volunteering at a local church that provides a complete Thanksgiving meal to senior citizens without families. From talking to some of my friends, they have the same experience.

 

In our family, we have changed traditions - we celebrate "Family Weekend" during some other time during the year, when the airfares are more reasonable, we do not worry about snow, and the out of town guests can enjoy NYC without the craziness that goes along with holiday, although we do miss the tradition of going to the Macy's Thanksgiving parade. Only problem - large turkeys must be ordered in advance because there are not as readily available.

 

gnomie :)

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gnomie1

gnomie1

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I will also agree that the noise levels are much higher on the Explorer than on the other ships. We met a fellow passenger who is a construction sound engineer (who knew that there is such an occupation?) and this individual explained to us that one of the problems is that with the very low ceilings and with the the large amount of glass surface area used for the ceiling lighting fixtures, the sound is bouncing off the glass and creating noise levels that at times becomes uncomfortable - this is especially a problem in Compass Rose. With regard to the other venues, I am not sure why the sound level is so high, but we do not enjoy being surrounded by noise that is so loud, it is literally impossible to have a conversation with the individual sitting next to you. On the other hand, a contributing factor is that we have noticed that some people on this ship have forgotten what they were taught in kindergarten - the difference between inside voice and outside voice.

 

We always enjoy attending the various lectures on the ship, and depending on the venue, some of them are just too loud - my Mom has these amazing bionic hearing aids that automatically adjust to most situations and even these are not helping - I wonder if there is a decibel meter on the ship so that the noise levels can be monitored.

 

gnomie :)

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Mr Rumor

Mr Rumor

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Thanks, Karen. Wishing you the best and hoping we'll have a chance to cruise together down the line.

 

For the Titanium, Platinum and Gold cocktail party Thanksgiving night in the theater, CD John promised a "very special performance with a 'Thanksgiving Theme.'"He delivered with the Regent singers' rendition of "All Good Gifts" from "Godspell," inspired by a harvest song in an Episcopal hymnal. The troupe had a day to learn the song, and did a nice job. The performance also comprised three other tunes sung by individual members of the song team.

 

The theater was crowded, as we have a large number of T,P & G cruisers on the crossing, as follows:

 

Titanium, 36

Platinum, 94

Gold, 260

Silver, 215

 

Following our group dinner in Compass Rose, we returned to the theater for British comedian/singer Mark Walker. Before Mark came on, the audience was treated to a second performance of "All Good Gifts," as well as another surprise, a dance number by assistant cruise director Olivia, a Jean Ann Ryan alumna. Having a little performance "extra"--a song/dance number here, some patter there from CD John--before the headliner hits the Constellation Theater stage seems to be a feature of a John Barron-designed evening. And we like it. And we like John, who is outgoing, warm, cheerful, funny, a tad impish and irreverent, and a CD who obviously loves what he does. We're delighted for him that his wife and two sons will soon be cruising with him for a month (they embark in Miami). Knowing John--and we feel we do, already--he's counting down the days to the Barron family reunion.

 

Rich

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