Explorer's Inaugural Atlantic Crossing: A Joint Live Blog

[mrlevin]

 

Temperatures remain around 70 degrees. Prior to packing I did check forecasts and averages for the ports we would visit. Nowhere did it indicate the warm temperatures that we are experiencing.

 

Jackie, don't you remember a post a while back asking about transatlantic weather? Here is what I posted on that thread:

 

I am assuming you mean the fall transatlantic. If so, I would plan on 70-80 during the days except when you cross the tropical storm; might actually be warmer in the storm.

 

You didn't believe me? :confused:

 

Marc

Edited November 27, 2016 by Marq

[Zqueeze1]

Good morning from The Cafe. It is 0700 and I am already flying low level on caffeinated jet fuel. I feel great and so does The Boss thanks to rest and meds. Kudos to all the well wishers and to all our medical suppliers. We plan to hit this ship hard until we debark in order to catch up on all we've missed. My booze low level light has been on for a few days and I must take action ASAP to adjust it.

 

Sorry we missed Thanksgiving dinner. TB had a traditional meal from room service while I ate a burger. Really missed our kids and our kitties.

 

However, we are back on the food trough in full force. The Greek lunch was disappointing in that it was very salty but, hey, burgers make the perfect backup plan. Dinner last night was at Pacific Rim which I was not looking forward to due to our recent let down. I really want to give the joint a chance and, guess what? I had the best lamb chops EVER!!! I heard angels singing, Bob Barker telling me I won the double showcase, and the great bambino rounded the bases for me. Ask for spicy (they are not really). Also, get some jasmine rice and veggies and mix them together.

 

 

We plan to hit the Sunday. Ranch today as long as I can drag TB out of her morning chow hall run. We continue to enjoy the company of our fellow passengers. There are so many nice folks and so few grumps on board. I love the natural cheerfulness of several fellow CCers, the junking and jiving as we swap insults in fun, and The prevailing sense of gratitude for being on this most special ship.

 

The crew and officers continue to be extremely accommodating and the service is impeccable. We witnessed a couple become verbally abusive to a waiter over a damn cup of coffee and to his credit, the waiter remained extremely calm and polite. Kudos to him and the crews' training standards.

 

Lots of rambling today but just trying to catch up. The bottom line is that even with an orthopedic boot and a cold from hell we are having a blast. If we can get the chef to make my mom's rice and beans with plantains and pork chops I would be in heaven.

 

Z and TB

 

 

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Edited November 27, 2016 by Zqueeze1

[1teach53]

Z & TB - so glad you're baaaaaaaaack!!!

Miss you! Continue to have a blast for us!!

K & J

[Travelcat2]

Jackie, don't you remember a post a while back asking about transatlantic weather? Here is what I posted on that thread:

 

 

 

You didn't believe me? :confused:

 

Marc

 

Definitely should have listened to you - could have packed 40 less pounds of clothing. I was really hoping for cooler weather. I will pay more attention to your weather forecasts in the future.

 

Looking forward to brunch ... Will report back this afternoon.

[tnr]

Mr. RAumor, we always carry some temporary stick on hooks. They are really handy and remove very easily at the end of the cruise.

[liptastic]

Z and TB glad to hear you are back to full health and make sure you get the most out of the remainder of your cruise. There was something missing on the blog without your posts.

Thanks to all the posters for providing such a good blog and photos.

Makes a cold damp day seem much brighter. Thanks, Jean.

[cruiseluv]

[quote=Bellaggio Cruisers;51632559

 

 

 

Hey Guys

Sorry I missed the festivities for the Cruise Critic Thanksgiving Dinner-- guess my invite went astray??

Sheila

 

LOL, guess mine went stray as well. But Bob and I lucked out to share the special meal with you and Ilene, thanks for having us!

[cruiseluv]

Temperatures remain around 70 degrees. Prior to packing I did check forecasts and averages for the ports we would visit. Nowhere did it indicate the warm temperatures that we are experiencing.

 

Well, maybe its that for me "warm" is tropical weather, but I consider this cruise anything but that. Weather has been very erratic , one minute "warm" (ie 70) and another minute rainy and cool.

[Mr Rumor]

Greetings from Compass Rose! It's Sunday, it's a sea day (fifth in a row, sixth overall), and that means that Regent Sunday sea day staple, the Sunday Brunch Extravaganza. Overseeing the feast: Executive Chef Aurelien, F&B Director Daniela and General Manager Massimo.

 

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

Great photo of a great executive team! What a wonderful buffet - ate too much (again) but enjoyed every morsel. Thank you F&B team once again -- you have set the bar very high for future cruises.

[mellapl]

Good morning from The Cafe. It is 0700 and I am already flying low level on caffeinated jet fuel. I feel great and so does The Boss thanks to rest and meds. Kudos to all the well wishers and to all our medical suppliers. We plan to hit this ship hard until we debark in order to catch up on all we've missed. My booze low level light has been on for a few days and I must take action ASAP to adjust it.

 

Sorry we missed Thanksgiving dinner. TB had a traditional meal from room service while I ate a burger. Really missed our kids and our kitties.

 

However, we are back on the food trough in full force. The Greek lunch was disappointing in that it was very salty but, hey, burgers make the perfect backup plan. Dinner last night was at Pacific Rim which I was not looking forward to due to our recent let down. I really want to give the joint a chance and, guess what? I had the best lamb chops EVER!!! I heard angels singing, Bob Barker telling me I won the double showcase, and the great bambino rounded the bases for me. Ask for spicy (they are not really). Also, get some jasmine rice and veggies and mix them together.

 

 

We plan to hit the Sunday. Ranch today as long as I can drag TB out of her morning chow hall run. We continue to enjoy the company of our fellow passengers. There are so many nice folks and so few grumps on board. I love the natural cheerfulness of several fellow CCers, the junking and jiving as we swap insults in fun, and The prevailing sense of gratitude for being on this most special ship.

 

The crew and officers continue to be extremely accommodating and the service is impeccable. We witnessed a couple become verbally abusive to a waiter over a damn cup of coffee and to his credit, the waiter remained extremely calm and polite. Kudos to him and the crews' training standards.

 

Lots of rambling today but just trying to catch up. The bottom line is that even with an orthopedic boot and a cold from hell we are having a blast. If we can get the chef to make my mom's rice and beans with plantains and pork chops I would be in heaven.

 

Z and TB

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Zqueeze1 I have to say I find your posts highly amusing. Glad you and your wife are felling better. Lamb chops look fantastic. How many of your group are on the Miami to LA cruise?

[Thundery]

LOL, guess mine went stray as well. But Bob and I lucked out to share the special meal with you and Ilene, thanks for having us!

 

Ha ha we lost our invite as well. But had dins with great special friends

[Thundery]

Zqueeze1 I have to say I find your posts highly amusing. Glad you and your wife are felling better. Lamb chops look fantastic. How many of your group are on the Miami to LA cruise?

 

We r. Sandy and Terry but haven't yet come across any others. Maybe on the next leg will run in to others

[mellapl]

Thanks Thundery I am Mel my wife is Lisa

[Mudhen]

I've been remiss in not posting very much at all, however it's been too nice, food too good, drinks with bud, etc. to be concerned about posting. I can do most of that at home (OH NO!) when we get there.

The cruise has been just lovely! Food had far exceeded our expectations. Daily "pours" in restaurants around the ship have been wonderful. I have found a new red that I really like, a French (Rhone?) called Bila Haut. Could be my go to red if I could possibly find it at home.

Quickie list:

Likes..Iberico ham, a new discovery..will never be able to find it, at least not on our saleries, but truly wonderful and enlightening.

All food has been wonderful, but loved the Margret Duck last night. Wonderful sauce from a non sauce kinda gal. Tonight is Pacific Rim....a real 50/50...some love it, some don't. Robero's lamb chops gives John hope! I'll be looking for the softie crabs and some sushi. A little saki wouldn't hurt!..haha.

I liked last nights show....something or other "Revolution"....thought it was one of the best on board shows I'd seen in awhile.

Not a bad dislike, but....

So far only two bars where I'm really happy with cocktails...they will remain a secret until I get off!! (giggle!)

Coffee....omg. I'm not a massive coffee nut, but PLEASE, PLEASE, do something about that. Not happy with it, no matter where on the ship......

Décor...again, it would never deter me from cruising on the Explorer...there are so many more great positives, BUT, (to be filed under "what were they thinking??!!")

One area does not flow cohesively into another as far as décor. "Microwave" lighting on entry to the Ob Bar is pretty awful.

The art work....ok, art is like food and drinks. Really subjective. But put the non representational with like and the semi abstact with similar. Some of it is really well done, and lovely. Some (forgive me Lord,) is straight out of the art auctions that we all hate!)

OK, I'm done.

So as you can see, the things I don't like don't count for a hill of bean.

Would I sail Explorer again.......you betcha, in a heart beat!

Our best regards to all of the great CCers that we've met and continue to enjoy....

John and Linda

[noir36]

Agree with Mr. Rumor's assessment of the PH suites - it would definitely not be our choice. Also, our Grand Suite's closet isn't as large as in the F1/F1 and Concierge Suites.

 

Went to the Connoisseur Wine lunch and want to post the menu before I get sober:D

 

Louis Roederer "Cristal Rose" - 2007 Brut - Reims - Champagne - France - ($525) served with: Siberian Caviar and Traditional Condiments and Fresh Blinis.

 

Far Niente -- 2014 Chardonnay - Napa Valley, CA - ($95)

Served with: Foie Gras Ravioli, Passion Fruit sauce, Chipotle Glaze, Toasted Hazelnuts.

 

Pegasus Bay - 2011 Pinot Noir - Waipara Valley, New Zealand ($80)

Blackened Tiger Prawns with Salsa Cruda.

 

Chateau Cucru-Beaucaill9ou 2EME Cru Class - 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot - Saint Julien - Bordeaux, France ($175)

Roasted Guinea Fowl with Lemon and Thyme Essence, Risotto with Cranberry and Chanterelles.

 

Marchesi Antinori "Solaia" Toscana GT - 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Tuscany, Italy ($335)

Gorgonzola-Crusted Grilled Black Angus Beef Tenderloin with Amarone Red Wine Sauce, Roasted Potatoes.

 

Amazing wine and food to match (and incredible service). Cost is $169/person (can use OBC's).

 

 

 

Inniskillin Ice Wine - 2012 Vidal, VQA, Niagara Peninsula, Canada ($79)

Baccarat - Tahitian Vanilla Charlotte with Wild Berry Compote.

where has the time

 

This was our first counnorsear wine lunch. Our previous connoisseur wine tasting included more wines, smaller pours and fewer and smaller food samples. The wine and food pairing were selected by Daniela and Aurelian. This was one of the best pairings we have been to in the many pairings we have enjoyed over the years. The pairings were very good to excellent. The experience took 2+ hours followed by a nice nap.

 

CR continues to impress. If you dine late be prepared to wait if you want table for 2. Same for Sette Mare.

 

We have met mostly happy people some with very small issues.

 

Dennis

[Mr Rumor]

We didn't have an internet connection for several hours this morning. The reason, according to Nenad, the computer consultant, is that the Explorer needed to switch to another set of satellites for its upcoming cruises.

 

While I was with our favorite computer consultant (we've cruised with Nenad previously on the Mariner this past spring, as well as on the Explorer MV), I thought I'd see if he is as happy with the Explorer's internet connection as I have been. He is.

 

Nenad: "Things have been very good for this ship," which boasts more than four times the bandwidth we had on the Mariner. "Now if you are Silver and above you can use an unlimited number of devices. We've had 1,200 devices online at the same time on this cruise."

 

When I noted how impressed I was with the fact that I wasn't getting disconnected after 45 minutes or an hour, as used to be the case aboard a Regent ship, he responded: "On previous Explorer cruises I've had guests who were able to stay online for even five or six days continuously. On this cruise, because of all the sea days when as many as four hundred guests have been online at the same time, some occasionally do get signed off. But, all in all, the Explorer internet is now like a version of home internet. Download speeds are as high as 25 MBS." He added that "Regent keeps pushing for more."

 

Nenad seemed especially proud of the fact that internet is available in virtually every corner of the ship. "Regent did an amazing job in securing coverage," he commented, He did note that there is one especially hot Explorer hot spot: the lobby ("You can get the maximum there"), closely followed by the other lounges, and the Constellation Theater.

 

One other bit of internet good news: Nenad confirmed that FaceTime and Skype and sites like Photobucket are no longer blocked!

 

Rich

[Zqueeze1]

Thanks for the well wishes and nice comments on our postings. One small point to be made is that the Thanksgiving dinner was not a CC event. It was a bunch of folks who have met through CC as well as onboard and decided to get together. Really sorry if there was an misunderstanding.

Now, back to reality. There is a margarita tasting event at 1100 at the pool bar that I am going to preside over!

Z and TB

 

 

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[Mr Rumor]

Land!

 

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

Agree with what Mr. Rumor posted regarding Nenad and the computer connection (which, IMO, has been quite good).

 

Also agree with "Z" (not sure why I'm agreeing so much). On this cruise, groups just hang out together (at the Pool Bar, Observation Lounge or the other lounges). If there is something someone wants to do, you can join in or not. At 2:30 p.m., after an excursion, a group will meet at a local pub. Others may (or may not) stop by after their excursions. All I can say is that everyone is welcome to everything but it is each person's responsibility to try and connect with others so that you can decide which things you want to participate in. This is my last word on the subject.

 

Going to rest for 40 minutes before getting off of the ship in beautiful Bermuda where the weather is amazing and the ship is finally not moving!

[JPR]

So not even the espresso is good onboard? Perhaps we'll have to bring our mini travel size Nespresso machine with us...

[Travelcat2]

So not even the espresso is good onboard? Perhaps we'll have to bring our mini travel size Nespresso machine with us...

 

I would double check with Regent before bringing a Nespresso machine onboard as Regent considers some coffee/tea makers a fire hazard. My DH and I are not having any problem with the coffee on the Explorer. Keep in mind that people have different tastes in coffee. For instance, we do not like "coffee shop" coffee - it tastes like water. Starbucks is too strong for me but my DH loves it. I do like a deep bodied, robust coffee and, as I said, Regent's coffee (from the Barista) is fine for me.

[Zqueeze1]

Coffee. I am an addict as well as an enabler. We sit around every morning at the Coffee Connection looking like a bunch of overaged wise guys sipping coffee and making fun of everything we see. I start at 0630 with an Americano and it is not good at all but I drink it to start the rocket motors going. Afterwards I switch to the French press which is awesome. Bottom line I think that it's better than what is found on the Mariner or Navigator.

Z and TB

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

Good point! I'm not sure if French press is available on other ships.

[noir36]

I like the espresso although it can be variable depending on who makes it.

 

Mudhen The Rhone you like is available in CA for about $30 , and I agree it's a fine wine. Other wine from the same wine maker can cost hundreds.

 

While we have eaten so little (or not) we feel as if we've gained 50 lbs. I blame it on closet shrinkage. Just love CR food, the space not so much.