LIVE ("lite") Explorer - 3/26 - 4/9

[BBWC]

Thanks everyone, we are booked on the Santana and North Coast and are looking forward to it.

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

Just woke up after the delicious wine lunch (6:00 pm). There were about 24 passengers in attendance - it was held in Chartreuse (IMO, the most lovely dining venue on Explorer). Great food and wine and while it does not seem as if you are drinking too much wine, you definitely feel it when you are done with lunch. Thankfully I feel fine now as we have dinner with some special "friends" at 7:30 p.m. The Captain's Farewell and Krew Kapers are also being held a day early as we will be in Gibraltar late tomorrow night.

 

Speaking of wine, Daniela (former sommelier - current F&B Director) is being talked about onboard the ship as well as on CC. She is clearly one of the best crew members on Explorer. For those of you that read the issues about hogging chairs, etc., the issue vanished when she came onboard (and I do not believe that lounge chairs are her responsibility. I have noticed comments every day in Passages about lounge chairs as well as in elevators. As mentioned previously, there is no chair hogging going on.

 

I have pre-introduced "Bill" to Daniela and John Barron. He has been such a positive poster on the Regent board that I'd like to see him and his parents be recognized on their cruise next week. It seems that the G.M. hears mostly complaints -- it will be refreshing for the "new" (not new to Regent - just new to Explorer) to know of someone that will be onboard that has a great attitude.

 

IMO, the next cruise (with almost half of the ship continuing on from the current cruise) will be great. Since the cruise is in the Med., the seas should be calmer than what we have experienced.

 

I haven't mentioned much about whistling doors. One of the sliding glass doors does whistle but not the one in bedroom. The sliding door into one of our bathrooms rattles but is easily fixed by putting a folded small towel underneath it at night. As another poster said, the ship is still new and these sort of things are pretty much expected and the ship will continue to go through "fixes" for a few more months. Most Regent passengers understand this and are not complaining. I really would love to hear about the Seabourn ships when they were new. Were they perfect or was some work needed? A "perfect" new ship would be rare indeed (IMO).

[BBfromCA]

Travelcat,

Thank you for your reports, updates and photos. We are looking forward to being on the Explorer for the first time early next year.

Bill

[swansong]

TC..just a mention re your comments on Gibraltar. There won't be any 'unrest'. So many Spanish people work on the Rock, it's not them but their government. Having lived for 12 years in Marbella we regularly visited the Rock to shop in our favourite British supermarket ( well it's nice to have familiar food now and then! ). The problem is that the border guards used to search every car exiting Gibraltar but since the agreement regarding the new airport this hasn't happened but they regularly delay exit. It's all due to the fact that Gib is duty free, that's why the delays occur. As far as visiting is concerned there won't be any issues other than possible delays in and out.

 

 

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[RachelG]

Every new structure, including a ship, is going to have things that show up and have to be fixed. My son and daughter-in-law brought a newly built house last year. It came with a 1 month, 6 month, and 12 month walk through with the builder to correct any issues that pop up.

[forevertravel]

We love Daniela. She's the best! On our Explorer cruise we always saw her visiting all the restaurants and making sure everything was perfect. I'm not surprised she's done something about chair huggers. Please tell her hi.

[ronrick1943]

We love Daniela. She's the best! On our Explorer cruise we always saw her visiting all the restaurants and making sure everything was perfect. I'm not surprised she's done something about chair huggers. Please tell her hi.

 

Well that's good news! However their will always be something someone isn't happy about. I think the best way to handle things is just do a work order and give it to your suite person-then forget about it and enjoy your cruise.

Rick

[rcandkc]

We will be boarding the Explorer in August in Iceland. It will be great leaving hot Texas (which I love but not by August). I was wondering if you knew who the GM and F&B manager will be then?

This will be our 8th cruise on Regent but first on the Explorer. I wish we had a Sunday sea day so we could experience the special brunch.

Thank you for all your posts and info.

[Travelcat2]

TC..just a mention re your comments on Gibraltar. There won't be any 'unrest'. So many Spanish people work on the Rock, it's not them but their government. Having lived for 12 years in Marbella we regularly visited the Rock to shop in our favourite British supermarket ( well it's nice to have familiar food now and then! ). The problem is that the border guards used to search every car exiting Gibraltar but since the agreement regarding the new airport this hasn't happened but they regularly delay exit. It's all due to the fact that Gib is duty free, that's why the delays occur. As far as visiting is concerned there won't be any issues other than possible delays in and out.

 

 

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Thank you very much for the information on Gibraltar. The onboard news had us concerned. My DH loves Gibraltar - partially because it gives him the opportunity to step foot on British soil. While he loves the U.S., part of his heart will always be in the U.K.

 

Short update about the whistling doors. Workmen have visited every suite where the issue has been reported. In the majority of cases, the doors were not being closed properly. They need to be slammed shut in order for the seals/gaskets to work correctly. Prior to departing the ship, they gave a training class to the crew so they know how to close the doors.

 

If anyone has a problem on future Explorer cruises, first speak with your steward/stewardess/butler. If they can't fix it, talk to Abhi (Staff Captain -- his name sounds like "Abby") as he was in charge of this.

 

rcandkc, I'll ask the G.M. about the summer. I know that Franck Galzy will come onboard in a month which is May so he could possibly still be onboard in August. However, the vacation he is currently on is an abbreviated one. So, my guess is that Michael will return and will be onboard in August. Daniela should be on vacation July and August. I'll check with her about her replacement.

 

Spent time with the Staff Captain (Abhi) and Safety Officer (Marco) - absolutely amazing young men. If you have the chance to chat with them, you will enjoy what they have to say.

 

In the meantime, we reminded that we are on a ship - on the ocean and that creaks, moans, etc. are normal. Rather than allowing it to bother us, we feel the motion and allow it to cradle us to sleep. BTW, the beds on Explorer are wonderful!

 

Some of you will be happy when we disembark on Sunday so that other voices will be heard. The posts that I make are honest but are from my perspective but there are always other points of view.

[Zqueeze1]

Jackie:

 

Nice reporting and we are really enjoying your insight and comments. Thanks for taking the time and sharing your cruise with us. Can't wait to board the Mariner in 36 more days! Say hi to Daniela from us!

Z and TB

[Formbyblue]

Yes other points of view would be wonderful to hear. When we cruise we don't spend our time chatting with officers and we have many cruises with another line. Heck, we are on vacation not on interviews or getting the inside scoop. Our goal is to enjoy our cruise.

 

From a Regent newbie,

Doors fixed one day out from Bermuda, noise obviously not caused by people not shutting doors properly, seals replaced but also material ground out of the door surrounds. Took three of shipyard workers about forty five minutes. No issues since the repair.

Some other observations, great passenger space ratio, never feels crowded on this ship. Chartreuse probably the best restaurant of any cruise ship we have been on, Prime 7 and Pacific Rim not far behind. Impeccable service to match the food. Compass Rose however is not up to standard for a 'luxury ship'. Dinner on the first night out was organized chaos, has improved somewhat over the past week but generally food and service not up to the standard required. I would say this restaurant is typical of a Princess type cruise. Work needed here.

Overall the staff on this ship are extremely helpful and personable and as good if not better than other cruise lines we have traveled on.

This is our third west to east transatlantic cruise over the past five years, 2013 Crystal Serenity and 2014 Seabourn Quest.

[Travelcat2]

Door issues were partly door not being shut properly and also seal issues. I tested one of our whistling doors and sure enough, once closed properly it was gone. Workers completed project and left ship in Funchal.

 

formbyblue, it is always good to hear from other luxury cruise line passengers. Agree about specialty restaurants.... they are great. But we also love CR. The first night always seems to be chaos. Aside from that, we have had good service in CR.

 

Time to get ready for our excursion.

[Travelcat2]

drib, really agree with you about the color chartreuse. However, this time (our 4th Explorer cruise), Chartreuse has been our favorite dining venue (it definitely was not in the past and we also were not fans of Signatures).

 

Now that we know what to order in Pacific Rim (that suits our tastes - we are not lovers of Asian Fusion but love any authentic Asian food). We will dine there on our last night (tomorrow).

 

P7 has always been inconsistent. I vividly recall dining there are the Mariner and saying that I hope that we never dine there again. F&B Director, Donald insisted that we try it again with him and it was one of the best meals that we have had at sea. Unfortunately, we don't have a "Donald" to dine with us to insure that the food is good. Somehow they were able to cook my DH's steak (filet Mignon) 1/2 well done and 1/2 medium well. Their second try 1/2 was medium and the other 1/2 was medium rare. My "medium" steak was partially medium and partially medium rare as well (I can eat my steak anywhere from medium rare to medium well). So, the inconsistency, IMO, continues.

 

Our excursion in Gibraltar was great. It is unusual for us to do any "included" excursion so doing the same one a second time is a new record for us. Crossing into Spain was easy but our tour guide said that when she crossed on her own in the morning, it was quite a bit stricter than it was two weeks ago.

 

Before I forget, one of the old Seabourn ships has become a luxury resort in Gibraltar. I was under the misimpression that Seabourn's smaller ships were going to another cruise line.

 

Zqueeze1, will definitely say hi to Daniela from you and TB.

 

Bill, John has the Navigator article that I wanted you to see (really think you'll find the story of the "Blue Sea" aka "Akademik Nicolay Pilyugin" very interesting.) It is nice to read fact after reading various stories about the ship for years.

 

Tonight is dinner in CR. I'll post again if there is anything even slightly interesting to report I really intended this to be a shorter version of my previous "live" reports but the other thread hasn't been very active so I'm filling in.

 

Almost forgot something very important. Once again, Destination Services has blown us away with their wonderful service. They were set up 1/2 hour prior to the time the first group was to be called (our group) and they handed out bus tickets. If all excursions were handled this well, I would finally shut up about how much I hate Regent excursions. The only slight niggle was having too many people on the bus (one bus) but we survived and the excursion was great. I cannot stress enough what a difference a real "Destination Services Team" can make. If I never saw the Destination Services group from our November cruises again, I would be very happy. And, this is the first time I have ever been able to compliment DS (and will also do so on my Final Questionnaire).

[Kwaj girl]

TC2 - we were on the same tour as you this morning. Was curious about the Seabourn ship-turned-hotel so have been trying to look into details online this afternoon. The Seabourn triplets (Star, Legend, Spirit) were indeed purchased by Windstar and are now the Star Legend, Star Breeze, Star Pride. What we saw today is the Sunborn Gibraltar at Ocean Village, operated by Sunborn Hotels. Just can't find any reference to a Seabourn connection. :confused:

[Travelcat2]

TC2 - we were on the same tour as you this morning. Was curious about the Seabourn ship-turned-hotel so have been trying to look into details online this afternoon. The Seabourn triplets (Star, Legend, Spirit) were indeed purchased by Windstar and are now the Star Legend, Star Breeze, Star Pride. What we saw today is the Sunborn Gibraltar at Ocean Village, operated by Sunborn Hotels. Just can't find any reference to a Seabourn connection. :confused:

 

Thanks for the correction. I obviously misheard what she was saying - guess that "Sunborn" and "Seabourn" sounded the same to me.

[Travelcat2]

Just a quickie note that Explorer's original Executive Chef will be returning in Barcelona. He and his team provided the best food that we have ever had on a Regent ship.

 

Really looking forward to Bill's posts from this ship as he always seems to have a very balanced view of "almost" everything (the "almost" is about internet :evilsmile:) Speaking of internet, this morning, the speed that the wonderful computer guru showed that the signal was excellent but no one in the Business Center was able to get anywhere online (except some sites - very slow). Interestingly, Wi-Fi in LV was great - it seemed to e only the Business Center.

 

Going to have our last lunch on this cruise.

[Zqueeze1]

Jackie. Are you staying in BCN for a few days or coming home right away? Have a safe trip home.

Z and TB

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

Jackie. Are you staying in BCN for a few days or coming home right away? Have a safe trip home.

Z and TB

 

 

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Going directly home -- we have three little ones waiting for us. We just printed boarding passes - it took an hour (Bill will definitely not be happy with the internet). Still trying to figure out why the internet was so poor on this crossing and good on the previous one. Going to have a Mexican Butterfly and will toast you two.

 

rcandkc, I haven't been able to find Andreas today. He might know who the G.M. will be in August. If I don't reach him before we leave, I'll contact Franck and ask who will replace him when he leaves Explorer. With the impossibly slow internet, it is much easier for me to contact him when we're home.

[poss]

Never heard of a Mexican Butterfly. Is it anything like a Spanish Fly?

 

Thanks to Tc and all others for all the good posts. Thanks for the Chartreuse, Drib! I barely know how to turn on a computer; must be fun to play those little color games.

[Travelcat2]

Never heard of a Mexican Butterfly. Is it anything like a Spanish Fly?

 

Thanks to Tc and all others for all the good posts. Thanks for the Chartreuse, Drib! I barely know how to turn on a computer; must be fun to play those little color games.

 

You really made me laugh:D A Mexican Butterfly is on Regent's cocktail menu. It's made with tequila (I ask for Don Julio or Patron), Elderflower, sweet and sour (I think) and is muddled with mint. Very refreshing! It is my newest favorite drink (it replaced the chocolate martini which I drank onboard for years). It's fun to try new things.

[RachelG]

Never heard of a Mexican Butterfly. Is it anything like a Spanish Fly?

 

Thanks to Tc and all others for all the good posts. Thanks for the Chartreuse, Drib! I barely know how to turn on a computer; must be fun to play those little color games.

Poss, you almost made me aspirate on my lunch laughing!

[Travelcat2]

Just learned that Andy and Tammy will be CD's (assume that Tammy is Asst. CD) on Explorer when John Barron departs the ship in July. He "thinks" that Franck Galzy will also be on through July but isn't sure about August. Still plan on trying to learn more.

 

We met former Seabourn customers who have switched to Regent (their second Regent cruise). They are really enjoying Explorer and also enjoyed the Navigator. There are also Seabourn cruisers that prefer Seabourn and the same can be said for Crystal and Silversea. For us, Silversea would be our choice after Regent. Crystal and Seabourn were off of our radar for so many years that it would be difficult to even consider them at this point (especially Crystal with their "too big" ships and faux open seating. While every Regent cruise we have taken isn't perfect, it meets our requirements and, IMO, Regent officers and crew are the best!

 

Had a delicious dinner in Pacific Rim. That dining venue has really grown on us.

 

I was flipping through old photos on my Kindle and came upon a photo of the "G" category bathroom and "F"/Concierge bathrooms. When I get home and are able to send photos to my friend "Z", I'll see if he can post them Although he posted the photos 9 months ago, I think they may be helpful to anyone trying to make a decision about the "G" category suites.

 

Going back to the suite to get the luggage ready to put outside at 11:00 a.m. More when we get home. Thanks for following this thread:)

[Suite Travels]

TC, both Serenity and Symphony will be going to open dining in the near future after dry dock and they are reducing staterooms and turning them into suites so capacity will be reduced. Keep in mind Crystal is building two new ocean liners and a mega yacht. Crystal is launching new river yachts and air cruises. When we sail Seabourn we will have been on all the luxury lines

 

You have never sailed on Seabourn or Crystal so your opinion is of those line do not count.

 

Stay with Regent but you will have no knowledge about the other two lines unless you sail them. And btw the Muse will have a Casino and you rumored that it will not.

 

We know what great service and food is and we will find out about Seabourn in the near future and then I can comment but not until we sail on them.

[Island Cruiser]

ST the impending Crystal changes will help. Crystal, based on our one Symphony cruise, is a marvelous product in so many ways. But the passenger-space ratio will remain inferior to the other lux lines hence a sense of crowding when the ship is full. And, apparently, the awful theatre on Symphony will remain an awful theatre: 400 seats serving 936 passengers. The math says it all. But for the right price and the right itinerary, I'd try Crystal again. We really loved the one Crystal cruise we tried.

[WesW]

Miles, we also booked Seabourn for Antarctica early next year for about a month. We felt at the time of our booking SB (based on the Quest Antarctica reviews had the best product to enjoy an Antarctica cruise). However, thanks to very enthusiastic recommendations (do not go to Antarctica unless you visit theSouth Georgia Islands) long time Regent cruisers who have sailed Antarctica on Silversea and other lines (Petlover, Freddie & Island Cruiser). Last week we changed our booking from SB Quest to the complete (Aft to Stern) refurb of Silver Cloud in Feb of 2017 since the Cloud will have five landing days in South Georgia Islands--the SB quest did not go to So. Ga Islands.

 

We absolutely agree with your premise Miles; unless you have sailed on the cruise line your view/opinion of that cruise line is merely speculation.

 

P.s..please see a pix of the Muse casino shared by the Editor of Cruise Critic who is now on board the Silver Muse.

 

 

 

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