Explorer: The Truth Revealed 😱

[UUNetBill]

Although not a dining venue, I wanted to throw in a comment about some of the seats in the Observation Lounge - the big, low-slung white numbers - look gorgeous but are pretty much useless as seats. Too low and too far back - you'd need a LOT of cushions to be able to sit in these and reach the table. These need a serious re-think.

[mrlevin]

Although not a dining venue, I wanted to throw in a comment about some of the seats in the Observation Lounge - the big, low-slung white numbers - look gorgeous but are pretty much useless as seats. Too low and too far back - you'd need a LOT of cushions to be able to sit in these and reach the table. These need a serious re-think.

 

+1

 

Marc

[flossie009]

We will no doubt get back to questions of seating comfort during our review of Bars & Lounges (coming soon), but lets move on to…………….

 

Entertainment

 

This section, by its nature, is cruise specific but will hopefully give a flavour of the entertainment available on Explorer for those cruising in the near future

 

liptastic asked “How did you find the evening ambience compared to the other 3 ships in view of music post dinner?”

We were pleasantly surprised to find that there was a vibrant buzz on the ship even after the evening show. At 10:30 there was usually something on offer in the Explorer Lounge (e.g. the Duo or Karaoke), the Meridian Lounge (the Show Band or singers) and theObservation Lounge (the Pianist, with sometimes ‘Name that Tune’). The Casino always looked to be well attended.

 

Entertainment was very ably organised by the Cruise Director, John Barron, Assistant CD, David Nevin and Social Hostess, Caron Moran

 

On the last night of our cruise the entertainment team organised a Dance Party in the Atrium on deck 4.The CD, band, singers & dancers all led guests in a very entertaining hour of fun before we retired to finalise our packing and put cases out for collection :loudcry:

 

Show Band

The seven-piece show band was excellent, with very talented individual players. They supported many of the shows in the theatre and also did their own sets in the Meridian Lounge (the bass player also being a reasonable singer).

Even more extraordinary that the members of the band all joined in Barcelona and for most of them it was the first time they had met; they settled in with each other very quickly

 

Production Shows

During our cruise on Voyager at Christmas we had been disappointed with the change from JAR to an in-house performance cast; they just didn’t seem to have the same level of talent

The cast of twelve singers and dancers on Explorer dispelled our concerns; they were fabulous, with every individual bringing excellent talent and personality to the stage.

Two shows were performed on each leg of the cruise (unfortunately for us the same two) – Paradis and My Revolution; they were very different productions, but we enjoyed both – mainly because of the flair of the performers.

Two of the lead singers, Stefanie & Paul, were a couple and they did their own show, with some of their own songs, in the Meridian Lounge one evening; it was packed, with overspill into the Café.

 

Visiting Entertainers

There were two visiting entertainers on the first leg of the cruise; none on the second

Helen Wilder; singer; excellent performance

Harry the Piano; pianist; played a wide range of music types and styles with humorous interludes between; extremely entertaining. He also performed for the Seven Seas Society party the following day

 

Other Shows in the Theatre

Both the Cruise Director and Assistant CD performed their own show on both cruise segments

John Barron: This English CD has a very engaging personality. His show is a mix of singing and comedy. An excellent performance well deserving of the standing ovations he received

David Nevin: Canadian Assistant CD; charming guy and a superb singer. His show is non-stop singing, ranging from Country through to Shows and Opera; yet more standing ovations

 

Mustn’t forget Krew Kapers showcasing the excellent singing & dancing talents of some of the hardworking crew members

 

Other performers

Pianist: Tim Daugherty; very good; had an amusing ‘Oscars’ moment when announcing the winning teams for Name that Tune one night

The Absolut Duo; excellent

 

For the SSS party (Gold &above), on the second leg, the entertainment was a male ‘A Cappella’ group of singers from Dubrovnik who gave a very good performance to a small group of us in the Meridian Lounge early evening before dinner

 

Daytime entertainment

Games: For those not on tour there were daily games (golf, bowling, shuffleboard, baggo etc) organised by the entertainment team

Trivia: 4:30 pm every day, either in the Observation Lounge or the Theatre (if numbers too great for the Lounge)

Lecturers: There was one Smithsonian lecturer on each leg. Didn’t manage to attend any of the lectures, or catch up with them on TV. Maybe someone else can chip in with comments on the quality of content and delivery

In-suite movies: Excellent selection of movies, but found the sound was very poor and subtitles were intermittent

 

 

 

We thoroughly enjoyed all the entertainment we managed to catch on Explorer…………..even a few of the Karaoke singers were worth listening to……………. but disappointed that Bill couldn’t find the song he was desperate to perform :cool:

[Gilly]

Flossie, I'm really enjoying reading about your experience on board Explorer! Thank you for taking time to write in such detail about each aspect of your cruise. Much appreciated.

[poss]

Thanks for your continued terrific reports, flossie. Your last one makes me wish we didn't have to turn in around 9:30-10:00. (And we STILL have trouble dragging out of bed for early excursions.)

[flossie009]

and speaking of excursions.....................................

 

Ports & Excursions

 

Barcelona, Spain (Embarkation)

Organised our own outbound flights/transfers from UK and took air credit from Regent

45 minute drive to Heathrow; 07:45 BA flight LHR to Barcelona – comfortable & on time; pre-booked taxi from Barcelona Airport to Cruise Port (used a company called “SunTransfers”, https://www.suntransfers.com, who we would recommend); easy check-in; on board just after midday in time for a leisurely lunch & drinks before unpacking, lifeboat drill and sail-away

 

Marseille, France

Slept in till late; early lunch and then took shuttle in to Marseille old town; very pleasant around the old harbour area

 

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Ship docked very near the town.

We took a 4-hour tour ‘Rothschild Foundation and Villefranche’; a very interesting tour with the highlight being a look around a Villa & Gardens, previously owned by an eccentric lady millionaire member of the Rothschild banking dynasty.

Back in time for lunch onboard

 

Livorno (Florence/Pisa), Italy

4.5 hour tour ‘The Glories of Pisa’; a very good excursion which included a guided tour of Miracle Square, the Cathedral and Baptistery as well as plenty of free time to admire the leaning tower plus take a coffee or gelato. A very good local guide.

 

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

We used the transportation option on offer ‘Roma Express – Exclusive Train Transfer’. This comprised a coach from the ship to the rail station and then a private rail car for the 1-hour trip into Rome. We were accompanied by a guide who gave out Rome city maps and offered orientation advice. The railcar arrived at St Peter’s station - about 10minutes from the Vatican.

We then set off on our own, using the metro to get around. We had pre-booked, on-line, tickets and an audio-visual guide for the Coliseum which meant we could skip the queues. After that interesting experience we walked around some of the town, had a leisurely and delicious pasta lunch (with obligatory red wine) and then made our way back to the Vatican, where our guide had arranged a meeting time in the afternoon to escort us back to St Peter’s station and our railcar back to Civitavecchia

Being the Friday before Easter the Pope was holding a service in St Peter’s Church, but Rome was not as crowded as we might have expected. Weather was perfect – sunny but cool.

 

Naples, Italy

The ship docked within walking distance of the town.

4.5 hour tour ‘Naples –Exploring Above and Beyond’. This was an all walking tour, the highlight being heading underground to explore an extensive and fascinating network of tunnels and chambers under Naples, variously used over the centuries as water storage, aqueducts, a royal escape route, air-raid shelters and even a police car pound. This tour included a very good pizza lunch..........with wine, of course.

 

Kotor, Montenegro

The sail-in/sail-out of this port is stunning, rather akin to cruising along a Norwegian Fjord. Such a shame that Explorer does not have a forward outer deck – many made Jason Montague (President & CEO) well aware of this shortcoming at this point in the cruise………..in a constructive and pleasant manner.

The ship docked alongside the old walled town of Kotor.

We took the 4-hour tour ‘Classical Concert in Prcanj & Kotor Walking Tour’ which was very agreeable. Transport was by boat around Kotor Bay and included a concert by lady flautists and a seafood lunch (with alcohol!). Being Easter Day we were offered painted eggs and a shot of alcohol akin to Grappa – very potent!

Unfortunately the day was overcast with a little rain

 

Zadar, Croatia

Stayed on board

 

Venice, Italy (2 days)

On day-1 we took a 4.5-hour paid excursion ‘Historical Venice & Gondola Ride’.

This tour included a guided tour of the Doge Palace and St Mark’s Church (very crowded). Our time was slightly marred by the weather turning cold and rainy. The Gondola ride was enjoyable but maybe not as romantic as if the sun had been shining; however, because a number of guests dropped out of this part of the tour we did get a gondola to ourselves.

 

On day-2 (changeover day) we took an excursion to the Guggenheim Museum. This was a little overrun with school groups (being the Easter break) and we found our guide rather too intense; she had studied art to a high level and could spend up to 15 minutes describing the intricacies and minutiae of each picture, which some found fascinating.

On return to the ship, we hit a bottleneck at port security; it was peak time for check-in of new Regent guests, there was no separate line for continuing guests and only two security scanners operating. When we got back on board, we picked up the key-cards for our new suite and found that all our belongings had been transferred perfectly while we were out on tour – well done Regent

 

Ancona, Italy

Stayed on board

 

Dubrovnik, Croatia

3-hour excursion ‘Tuk-Tuk Panoramic Ride & Old Town’. An excellent, and different, tour using electric Tuk-Tuks for transport (four guests per vehicle). A sunny day, but cool, so glorious views of Dubrovnik from the hill overlooking the bay. The guide, owner of the Tuk-Tuk tour company, was very interesting having lived in Dubrovnik all his life including the difficult period of the brutal Yugoslav Wars of the 1990’s

 

Kotor, Montenegro

4.5 hour tour ‘Historic Kotor & Seaside Resort of Budva’. This tour was basically two Old-Town walking tours with a coach trip between; OK but nothing special.

 

Corfu, Greece

A warm, sunny day so we stayed on board to try out the sun loungers and the pool; excellent

 

Taormina, Sicily, Italy

The ship anchored off Giardini Naxos, a pleasant coastal resort only a few miles from Taormina.

We took the tender ashore (calm sea) with a view to taking a transfer coach to Taormina and doing our own walking tour ‘Taormina On Your Own’. Aperol Spritzers were a must in this part of Italy

 

Sorrento, Italy

Again, the ship was anchored and we took the tender ashore (calm sea). We took the 3-hour excursion ‘Panoramic Sorrento & The Italian Riviera’ and then did some shopping in Sorrento (one of our favourite Italian towns) before taking the ship’s shuttle back down to the port and tender back to the ship

 

Civitavecchia (Rome) (Disembarkation)

For our return journey we let Regent arrange our transfer and flight. It all went very smoothly – room service coffee, breakfast in La Veranda (can’t miss Regent food on the last day!), off the ship on time, comfortable coach transfer to Rome Airport, Rome airport was fast & efficient (now there’s a surprise!) and the BA flight to Heathrow arrived early; back in our house, and back to reality, by mid afternoon.

 

 

Notes:

• All the tours mentioned above were ‘included’ apart from the one paid tour in Venice.
  
• Destination Services staff were pleasant, helpful and efficient
  
• We never felt we were being treated like ‘cattle’ as some have reported on CC
  
• Coaches, when used, were only ever half full
  
• A number of the guides on the walking tours used radio transmitters and earpieces, which made listening to their commentary very easy
  

[WesW]

Susan & David/flossie009, your two previous Explorer posts were absolutely the best posts I've read on the Explorer experience--Thank you for taking the significant time on your cruise to share with us.

 

We loved David Niven on our Voyager cruises (Auckland to Hong Kong) earlier this year--he deserves to be promoted to CD--always smiling, engaged with guests--making your cruise that much more enjoyable.

 

Thank you for sharing with Jason M, the poor design feature of the Explorer (no forward outer deck.). Secondary reason we are sailing in July on the Silver wind (Norway) vs Regent (prime reason is no other lux cruise line has such a fab Norway itinerary in 2017 than Silversea's Silver wind (embark/disembark from London Tower Bridge--then more than a dozen Norwegian ports)

 

Again thanks Susan, for David and you going way above & beyond in your truly exceptional/balanced Explorer posts.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[freddie]

flossies - I enthusiastically echo Wes' thanks for your informative and entertaining review of Explorer. It is excellent to read such a detailed review from someone who is extremely experienced in Regent cruising but does not exhibit the blind pro-Regent bias of certain other posters. We will keep our fingers crossed that you may be allowed to continue to add to your superb series of posts without the interference of such "certain other posters" who insist on contradicting or debating every point that you make. After all, this is your review and should stand as such. Thanks again.

[Gilly]

Freddie, hear hear!

[GOARMY]

Quick comment to WesW, as to your upcoming Norwegian cruise, on another luxury line departing London from near the Bridge. Did that several years ago on Silver Cloud. You are in for a great experience, which begins when boarding the ship. It should be as you arrive at the pier; walk-aboard amidships across the deck of a famous WWII British Cruiser (now a museum), starboard to port; then board that cruise vessel.

 

As to this thread: Will be posting thoughts on the second leg of our BTB Miami-Barcelona-Venice Explorer cruise in a day or two. Already entered comments as to the initial segment. Cannot resist echoing positive comments as to excursions at Pisa and Kotor. Great guides, and marvelous experiences. Specifically, Easter Sunday at the Kotor Cathedral. The flute quartet struck exactly the right notes and theme during their concert. Fortunately, Sue was up-front, and able to capture most of the concert on video. It was punctuated, as those of us will recall, by exterior "approval" from on-high in the form of thunder from that storm. That seafood lunch which followed only added to the experience!

 

Enough. Will post more on the appropriate post-cruise Review

 

GoARMY!

[Isklaar]

Well said freddie.

 

Flossie, I'm very much enjoying your posts here, and looking forward to reading more as they're very helpful to me. As a poster who hasn't cruised with Regent yet I very much enjoy reading the experiences of Regent guests who are able to comment in a balanced way about their cruise.

Regent is very lucky to have John Barron, he's a great CD.

[WesW]

You're very welcome flossie009! And kudos for sharing with us--your outstanding writing skills--simply a pleasure to read any of your posts just to savor your words.

 

GOARMY, super cruise critic name--Hooah. Yes, boarding the Silversea Silver Cloud at London Tower Bridge by first walking though the HMS Belfast (Grand WWII War ship) and then sailing down to Thames to Edinburgh (then Iceland) back in the summer of 2013 is/was our fav cruise ship sail-away (Voyager leaving Sydney Harbor (this February) is a close second.

 

Now, to go back to the theme of this thread--the Explorer--after many wonderful weeks on board the Voyager (Jan-Mar) and re-experiencing the Regent on board experience we coveted sailing Regent (Voyager) in Norway. However, senior leadership at Regent/Prestige cruise holdings told us that the Explorer (with no top deck for viewing the spectacular Norwegian fjords) was doing Norway in the summer of 2019. So, we then ended up booking Silversea (exclusively for this Norwegian itinerary) instead but prefer the daytime/entertainment activities found on board Regent vs. Silversea--(cuisine, service very similar).

[liptastic]

Flossie your style of writing is excellent and so enjoyable. Very much agreeed with your reply post today. Thanks for this thread, Jean.

[poss]

Flossie, you're terrific. Thank you ever so much! Btw, I appreciated (along with all the rest) your reminder that it really is OK to stay on board for some port days. We definitely need to learn to slow down a bit.

[fizzy]

Flossie, you're terrific. Thank you ever so much! Btw, I appreciated (along with all the rest) your reminder that it really is OK to stay on board for some port days. We definitely need to learn to slow down a bit.

Very well said.

[flossie009]

Wes, freddie, Gilly, Isklaar, liptastic, poss & fizzy,

Thanks for your very kind and supportive comments

GOARMY,

We are looking forward to your review of the Barcelona > Venice segment and your take on any particular differences from the previous segment

.................so lets move on to the next episode in this gripping series...........................not too much longer till we reach the finale

[flossie009]

Lounges, Bars & otherPublic Areas

Overall comment: Explorer is a very spacious ship with plenty of seating, particularly on deck 5

 

Explorer Lounge

Positives

• a convenient place to meet for a drink pre-dinner when dining in Compass Rose
  
• comfortable seating
  
• good bar, with plenty of barstools
  

Negatives

• a row of large columns obscures the performance area when sitting at the side of the lounge
  

Meridian Lounge

Positives

• large lounge
  
• comfortable seating
  
• good bar, with plenty of barstools
  
• large, well positioned, stage
  
• a convenient place to meet for a drink pre-dinner when dining in Pacific Rim
  

Negatives

• not used that much, especially during the day
  

Observation Lounge

Positives

• good, forward facing lounge with sea views through the picture windows
  
• used for Afternoon Tea and Trivia (if not too many teams competing)
  
• good bar
  

Negatives

• tub chairs are very, very heavy
  

Atrium

Positives

• good layout of Reception, Executive Concierge, Destination Services, Cruise Consultant and Dining Reservations (deck 5)
  
• excellent seating area (deck5)
  
• gives a ‘wow’ factor when entering the ship for the first time
  
• the feature staircase from deck 4 to deck 5 is a good photo location
  

Negatives

• atrium chandelier is a little glitzy
  
• oversized ‘golf ball’ finials on staircase don’t seem to match the decor
  
• atrium space in the upper decks seems wasted; the windows at each deck level into the atrium space being pointless in our opinion
  

Theatre

Positives

• excellent stage, lighting & sound
  
• comfortable seating
  

Negatives

• the balcony (deck 5) is virtually unusable as there are few, if any, seats that have an unobstructed view of the stage
  
• many of the seats in the balcony are high bar-stool type which most guests find difficult
  
• many seats at the back and sides of the main auditorium (deck 4) have obstructed views
  
• if you are petite you need to choose your seat with care as there is not a good rake between some rows
  
• steps in the aisles are poorly marked - accidents waiting to happen
  

Casino

We did not use this facility but it seemed to be very popular

 

Boutiques

Positives

• large with a reasonable range of stock
  
• very pleasant & helpful staff
  

Launderettes

Positives

• well equipped
  

Negatives

• ironing boards are short
  

Restrooms

Positives

• the restrooms are huge
  
• automatic external doors (deck4)
  

Negatives

• the bronze finish chosen for taps & soap-dispensers does not seem to be wearing very well
  

Stairwells

Negatives

• decor is very dark
  
• stairs are narrow
  
• no access to deck 4 or deck 12 from the aft stairwell
  

Lifts (Elevators)

Positives

• very fast
  
• good capacity in the forward bank of lifts
  

Negatives

• two of the forward lifts are small capacity, keyhole shaped (very bizarre)
  
• aft lifts do not access deck 4 or deck 12
  

Spa

Only used for one nail treatment, so no specific comments for this facility

 

Gym

• we did not use but it appears to be well equipped
  
• has not been designed for disabled (wheelchair) access; only means of access is a spiral staircase up from deck 5 or steps down from deck 6
  

Connoisseur Club, Card Room,Library

Not used so no specific comments

[cerise638]

Thanks Flossie for taking the time to do such a detailed review of your experiences on Explorer.

 

I would be interested to know how you feel she compares with the other Regent ships. I have sailed on both Mariner and Explorer and think they are both great experiences but you have sailed Voyager very recently so are in a position to make a valid judgement

 

Having said that - it is like someone asking who is your favourite child - they all have their faults but you love them all equally regardless.

 

My favourite is the ship I am on :cool: shortly to be Voyager.

[UUNetBill]

Flossie - you must have an amazing memory as I don't recall seeing you wandering around the ship with a notepad in hand. :D

 

I agree with pretty much everything you said. Additions or differences of opinion can be found below. And let me echo the previous 'thanks' for your thoughtful and detailed posts. Makes me wish I was back on board...

Observation Lounge

Positives

• good, forward facing lounge with sea views through the picture windows (if they're not salt-sprayed or otherwise dirty - which is often)
  
• good bar (and good bartenders, too!)
  

Negatives

• tub chairs are very, very heavy (and insanely uncomfortable - virtually unusable, IMO)
  

Atrium

Positives

• gives a ‘wow’ factor when entering the ship for the first time (couldn't agree more - this was my mother's first cruise and her jaw dropped on embarkation day. Very impressive at first glance)
  

Negatives

• atrium chandelier is a little glitzy (perhaps, but it does make a statement)
  
• atrium space in the upper decks seems wasted; the windows at each deck level into the atrium space being pointless in our opinion (not only pointless, but very bland. And dusty. This is another area that requires a rethink on Explorer II. I discussed this with someone, I seem to recall it was John Barron, and he suggested plants or something to add visual interest, whereas I suggested artwork or at least some contrasting colors. This was a missed opportunity, I think.)
  

Theatre

Positives

• excellent stage, lighting & sound
  
• comfortable seating (subjective. I thought the comfort was fair in most seats.)
  

Negatives

• steps in the aisles are poorly marked - accidents waiting to happen (I'd read about this before we sailed on Explorer and thought that maybe people just weren't paying adequate attention...and on the second day I stumbled off a step myself. So now I agree wholeheartedly - these need to be better marked/lit)
  

Lifts (Elevators)

Negatives

• two of the forward lifts are small capacity, keyhole shaped (very bizarre) (I know - who approved these? They were like little horizontal glass-capped mushrooms. Odd)
  

Spa

Only used for one nail treatment, so no specific comments for this facility (My wife booked some nail treatments and was happy. As with all CR facilities, you'll pay a pretty penny for services, though)

 

Gym

• we did not use but it appears to be well equipped (what's a "gym"? ;p )
  

Connoisseur Club, Card Room,Library

Not used so no specific comments (The Connoisseur Club was very nice, comfortable with nice seating. Good company and conversation. Ventilation seemed to be more than adequate. The Library is a gorgeous space, and I loved the look and feel of the leather flooring.)

[flossie009]

I would be interested to know how you feel she compares with the other Regent ships. I have sailed on both Mariner and Explorer and think they are both great experiences but you have sailed Voyager very recently so are in a position to make a valid judgement

 

Having said that - it is like someone asking who is your favourite child - they all have their faults but you love them all equally regardless.

 

My favourite is the ship I am on :cool: shortly to be Voyager.

At the end of the detailed reviews, we intend to draw some conclusions about Explorer and how we feel about her position in the 'pecking order' of Regent ships

However your simile of the favourite child is perfect and for those who have sailed on other luxury lines the love probably extends to those ships as well

 

In our opinion the cruise enjoyment is not just about the ship; it is also about the itinerary and most importantly the service that you receive. The latter is down to the quality of the Regent team on board - a well trained crew under good leadership

 

Have a great time on Voyager; she is a beautiful ship and last year's refurbishment really enhanced her

 

 

Bill,

Thanks for your comments - very useful additions

We were going to do a blog while on Explorer, but the vagaries of the internet meant that taking a few notes on the iPad each day and then compiling the review when back home was the easiest way to go

Hope your Mum is keeping well; bet she has the cruising bug now :)

[lprp]

Fantastic review Flossie and lovely to have the added opinions of others who were onboard too.

Your writing style reminds me of Gilly's blog, which I really enjoyed too.

Go (British) ladies 😜

[Travelcat2]

flossie, you made a good point about the "Regent team" (aka crew"), onboard. As you may our may not know, the General Manager changed from or cruise to yours as well as the Executive Chef. In the case of the Exec. Chef, IMO, the current one onboard Explorer is the best Regent has. For people that sailed Explorer In the Caribbean, there was also a different F&B Director. I also find that the officers onboard set the tone for each Regent cruise ... not only on Explorer but on all Regent ships.

 

Bill, can you describe where exactly the atrium space is on upper decks? Thanks. I agree with you about the huge chandelier.... It makes the statement that it was meant to make. I also like all of the seating on deck 5 ....... It was utilized quite a bit on our sailing.

 

flossie, I'm wondering if the Meridian Lounge was under-utilized on your itineraries because they were port intensive. On our crossing, the lounge was used for various activities during the day and was as crowded as the Explorer Lounge at night.

[UUNetBill]

Bill, can you describe where exactly the atrium space is on upper decks? Thanks

TC, we were referring to that big, bland, rectangular void you see when you're looking out of the glassed-in forward elevators. You pass it on every passenger deck from deck 6 to 9 or 10, I believe. It's just a beige box o' windows (with copious quantities of dust on the ledges, I might add) that is just wasted space, IMO. They need to find a way to add some visual interest either with artwork or contrasting color or something - anything!

[mrlevin]

TC, we were referring to that big, bland, rectangular void you see when you're looking out of the glassed-in forward elevators. You pass it on every passenger deck from deck 6 to 9 or 10, I believe. It's just a beige box o' windows (with copious quantities of dust on the ledges, I might add) that is just wasted space, IMO. They need to find a way to add some visual interest either with artwork or contrasting color or something - anything!

 

I think they are going to have to get a drone or two to dust the ledges; they are getting really dusty already; especially on Deck 11.

 

Marc

[JPR]

The sauna isn't hot enough but the spa including infinity pool is great. Thank you to those people who aren't using it. More room for the relatively few of us who love it!