Great Expectations

[Xerxes10]

Those of you who clicked on this post in the hope of reading my reaction to Dickens’ famous novel are going to be disappointed. That book was assigned reading in a high school class but that was over sixty years ago, and I remember nothing of the story other than its name and author.

Instead I want to talk about my expectations for our cruise next month on the Explorer. In my experience the best vacations have been those that exceeded or at least equaled my expectations. The problem is that reading your messages on this board about Regent and the Explorer have raised my expectations to such a high level that it seems impossible that they can be matched.

So folks, how about writing a little about your cruising experiences that were, well, meh.

[Gcto]

Hmmm, interesting question. 🙂 Are there some Meh experiences ? One in particular was during our earlier times on RCL (the weasel with the phone plan comes to mind...long story)… but this is a the Regent board. 

Were there some experiences which could have been better in an "ideal" world, without weather, strikes, grumpy passengers, etc ? Yes. But it never causes us one bit of problem as we were on vacation and weather happens. Now of course, on three trip to Europe, the French managed to strike three times...Regent always came through with making changes on the fly. 

Don't worry about all this, enjoy your trip and the ship. Explorer is a wonderful ship

[Travelcat2]

Wow - you have presented quite the challenge for this Regent loyalist.  Since I understand that having super high expectations can lead to disappointment, I will do my best to objectively look at our 50+ nights on Explorer (our favorite ship by a mile).

 

1.  The lower two categories of suites ("G" and "H") are way too small.  I would never book one of these suites.

 

2.  It took multiple visits to Pacific Rim to find food that we like.  We are not fans of Asian fusion.  Since I am learning to be a fan of Sake, Pacific Rim met our expectations.  We enjoy this drink very much.  We also like lobster tempera.  

 

3.  The theater - most people that have sailed on Explorer know that the theater layout leaves much to be desired.  If you sit in the balcony, the site lines are horrible.  On the lower deck, be careful not to sit behind a post as you can not see anything.  

 

That is all that I can come up with at the moment.  The ship, food and service on this ship is amazing!

 

 

[Gilly]

Any below par experiences we have had have been swiftly and efficiently addressed by whoever controlled that aspect of service, so though I could describe a very poor experience dining in Pacific Rim on one occasion, it would be only fair to balance it with the spectacular evening we enjoyed there as soon as the restaurant manager learned of our disappointment.  In similar vein, I could tell you about shortages of particular favourites in terms of food and drink, but then I'd have to describe the lengths to which staff members went to find and obtain these for us as well.  In other words, yes, there will indeed be shortcomings, but if it's humanly possible to do something to make the situation better, then someone on board will do their best to make sure it happens.   As we know this will be the case, usually we simply decide to go with the flow and rise above whatever trivial thing isn't quite right that day - there are always alternatives.  And of course, we always acknowledge and appreciate the trouble taken to ensure our happiness!!

 

But yes, there's the theatre and a few other design niggles - which are not quite so readily resolved 😉

[Portolan]

Well, we've never been on a Regent cruise where we wanted to get off, so that says something.

 

And, as a bit of a counterpoint to TC2: Pacific Rim is our favorite restaurant on Regent.  So, some of the comments you may receive in this thread need to be viewed as subjective (both ways, you might dislike PR) while some are undeniably objective like the theater shortcomings.  You can solve that by arriving early.

 

Another objective (I think) design flaw on Explorer is that there isn't a forward-looking outside deck at the bow.  As a photographer, I like to be able to take pictures without shooting through glass.  The other Regent ships all have a place on the top deck where you can look directly forward.

 

Edited January 10, 2019 by Portolan

[Hambagahle]

I don't know exactly what "meh" means (not a word we use in Switzerland!) but I think from the others' posts it means not so great?

 

If so - my two not-so-great experiences on Regent ships were:

1.  Butler on the Voyager called Jeeger who was totally incompetent.  Example - we ordered boiled eggs with toast one morning.  No butter.  I called him and asked for butter.  he said "well, if you wanted butter you should have said so"   !!!  Now I ask you - dry toast with a boiled egg??

2.  Letting my husband make an "executive decision" for us to take a Mediterranean cruise on the Mariner in a normal size suite.   We have never had less than a PH suite before.   We could barely turn around in the room and we are not large or even medium size people!!  And - horrors! - no butler!

 

Do those qualify as "meh" ???

[alainciao]

I suggest you read (reread) Bleak House before you board.

[1982CruzStart]

Expect that not all the food you are served will be perfect. As others have said the staff will do their best to rectify that but basic statistics tell you that when they are preparing 1000's of dishes a food a day something is going to go wrong. Maybe you won't ever be the person that gets that so-so dish but don't be surprised if you do. Ask for it to be re-done or for something else. They will do all they can to make you happy. 

We have been home for 3 weeks from our last cruise on explorer and i can assure you that everything was not perfect or extraordinary but our experience had far more positives than negatives. 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Hmm, interesting question.  I've not been on Explorer, but thinking of "meh" experiences, I mostly remember meals that weren't perfect--steaks that were tough, food that was not hot, or over-salted.  Over-hyped specialty restaurants.  Not common, but let's face it, all meals just can't be scintillating gourmet experiences.  The (very) odd lapse in service, but these mostly just underline how great the service usually is.

 

As for the rest, the odd excursion that was boring, cheesy or badly-organized.  Quite rare, but it happens, and is not completely in the control of Regent. The "broadway"-type shows are not to our taste, and are often, "meh", but with the exception of lounge performers like musicians and sometimes dance bands, much of ship's entertainment is pretty mediocre, regardless of the line, imho.

 

But these things are very minor in the overall experience of a cruise vacation.  Although I like to keep my expectations moderated so that I can be pleasantly surprised!

Edited January 10, 2019 by Wendy The Wanderer

[ArtsyCraftsy]

Very interesting question!  I've only taken one RSSC cruise so far -- 28 days, Vancouver, BC to Miami via the Panama Canal, and it was on the Mariner (not the Explorer).  I'll also say that I'm generally easy to please, so things that might really bother someone else may not register with me at all. 

 

The only thing that was "meh" on that cruise was breakfast one morning in Compass Rose.  The blueberry pancakes were ... OK, but frankly I've had better at IHOP.  The buttermilk pancakes, however, were yummy!  If they had just used their buttermilk pancake batter and added a handful of blueberries, they would have hit a home run, but they used some sort of cornmeal batter instead, so they ended up dry, crumbly, and more like sandpaper.  Flavor was OK, but the texture was completely off.  

 

So one breakfast out of 26 was a little disappointing.  The overall experience exceeded my expectations to such an extent that I booked the 2020 world cruise while onboard (on day 11 as I recall).  In fact, in 2020 I'll be sailing on the Mariner for a total of 199 days (131days for the world cruise, 68 for the Grand Cape Horn Adventure later in the year).  

 

Lana in Bellingham, WA

[flossie009]

1 hour ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

But these things are very minor in the overall experience of a cruise vacation.  Although I like to keep my expectations moderated so that I can be pleasantly surprised!

 

Great advice 👍

We met a couple on our last cruise who had booked Regent with the expectation that everything would be 120% perfect. Understandably it wasn't and they were therefore "underwhelmed".

 

As others have said, if certain elements of your experience do not meet your reasonable expectations either raise the issue with a staff member, who will invariably try to fix things for you, or just put the issue behind you and move on. Do not let poor experiences fester and thereby spoil your enjoyment of all the other good things to come.

 

It is your vacation ................ chill out, make the most of what Regent has to offer and enjoy yourself 😄🍹

.......................... and if time allows read The Pickwick Papers

[Gcto]

8 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

I don't know exactly what "meh" means (not a word we use in Switzerland!) but I think from the others' posts it means not so great?

 

If so - my two not-so-great experiences on Regent ships were:

1.  Butler on the Voyager called Jeeger who was totally incompetent.  Example - we ordered boiled eggs with toast one morning.  No butter.  I called him and asked for butter.  he said "well, if you wanted butter you should have said so"   !!!  Now I ask you - dry toast with a boiled egg??

2.  Letting my husband make an "executive decision" for us to take a Mediterranean cruise on the Mariner in a normal size suite.   We have never had less than a PH suite before.   We could barely turn around in the room and we are not large or even medium size people!!  And - horrors! - no butler!

 

Do those qualify as "meh" ???

Yes, but 2. means that your husband was "meh" 

[Travelcat2]

11 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

 

Do those qualify as "meh" ???

 

"meh" is one of the dumbest words that I've heard.  Don't bother learning it.  

 

BTW, the only argument that Dennis I have had while onboard a ship was on the Mariner when we booked a normal size suite.  It was SO small that he didn't speak to me for a full day (only time this has happened in 39 years of marriage).  Thankfully, someone left the ship unexpectedly and were were put in their suite (a PH suite).

[GOARMY]

TS:  If I understand context, this will be your initial encounter with Regent.  Might I inquire as to your history with other cruise lines?     Reason:   

 

Passengers board with "baggage" as to experiences on other cruise lines; river boats; land expeditions; safaris. And so-on.  Been there and done that. Such experience(s) informs impressions as to responding to the normal day-to-day situations with a new cruise line, e.g. Regent.  This applies, in spades, when returning to the same ship for, maybe the third or fourth time. 

 

Background:  Spouse and I had sailed on the larger HAL and Cunard ships before our first Regent cruise.  But, we had also benefitted from cruises on Seabourn and Silversea.  So--we could compare apples to apples.  It is simply not a useful exercise to equate situations encountered on a midsize ship housing 2,700+ guests to Regent's rivals with passenger capacity ranging from about 400 to 750.  I would even stretch this a bit to include Crystal, with a capacity around 950.  

 

The cruise industry has evolved so-much over the past 25 years, which encompasses our history.  Now, 2,700 is simply mid-size.  The stretch as to apples-apples becomes apples-camels when rating today's mega ships which exceed 4,500 passengers.

 

Sorry to digress.  But, context is important. 

 

Starting with Explorer is a great place to start.  We have been on all Regent ships.  Next Explorer will be this August-September on BTBs.  Stockholm-London; then London-London.  Then, new Splendor March-April, 2020 when celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary.   

 

We simply try-try to treat every Regent cruise as a new situation, with no expectation of reliving that "perfect" moment we experienced on a previous Regent cruise.  Such as--the perfect sunset; the perfect wine which, once-identified and brought to the attention of staff, is there, chilled, and waiting for us at the next lunch or dinner.

 

And, a cruise itinerary not changed due to civil unrest, volcano eruptions, earthquakes, hurricanes, real-life onboard emergency requiring preparation for lifeboat evacuation, and passenger illnesses requiring canceling ports-of-call.  All this has happened.  But, stuff happens. 

 

The bar is, consciously, and unconsciously set very-high for Regent. Same goes for Silversea, Seabourn, and Crystal.  Yes, there have been the occasional hick-ups.  A cold entre' which should have been hot; diffident or inattentive wait staff; and a glitch in getting the correct heat/air conditioning in the suite.  But-but:  as others have opined--

 

Simply bring any concern (reasonable) to the attention of management.  It Will be addressed.  Don't complain about the weather or a local revolution.  Regent folks know they are players in an increasingly competitive industry. It has been our experience that an acknowledged shortcoming will not be ignored. 

 

What continues to irk me are CC entries from folks who, apparently, waited until disembarkation before venting as to issues.  When something goes a bit-amiss, we just talk to the appropriate staff person.  Plus, fill out a mid-cruise review, and so-on.  The feedback has been immediate, and professional. 

 

Everyone has a "war story" or two as to disappointment.  We have a few, but life is full of these. Suffice to say:  Regent has more than met our reasonable expectations as to service and staff attitude.  We have received what we have paid for. 

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise. 

 

GOARMY!

 

[ronrick1943]

 

You know it doesn't matter what anyone thinks regarding Regent---What type of cruise you have will depend on you and the crew you get.  If something goes wrong, don't stew about it-tell the right person and get it corrected asap.  Sure it good to read what people on CC have to say, they have a lot of good information about Regent.  But your cruise is your cruise, look for the good and you'll be just fine.  So board the ship and have a good time.

[Hambagahle]

Sound advice from both GOARMY and RonRick -- we have had several experiences with Regent and Radisson before that could perhaps be considered bad (Mariner hit an iceberg in Alaska, damaged a pod and we arrive 6 hrs late in Vancouver AND had to miss Ketchikan to get there at all!  Really dangerous excursion at Cabo once.  In both cases the staff did everything they could to attenuate and compensate for the situation.  I was in awe of what was done in the iceberg situation (flights rebooked (and several times too) at no cost for all passengers, even those who did not use the company's air programme, high level of financial compensation for missing the port etc and very speedy reaction in the case of the Cabo excursion).  But if you do not let management know that something is not right when it happens they cannot correct it.  And it doesn't help to tell them weeks or months later...

[Sir Humphrey]

Although I have been following comments on Cruise Critic for some time now, and found it a very valuable resource, I have now felt compelled to sign up and make my first post.

 

Over the past 10 years we have been lucky enough to be able to enjoy a number of cruises, including three on Regent.  One of the delightful things I have found is that, with whomever you meet/dine with/converse, whatever their income level and whatever on-board accommodation they have there is no snobbery or bragging.  Conversation is delightful, informative and easy. Nobody has ever seen the need to announce the cabin they are in.

 

On the Cruise Critic boards (including this one and this thread) , however, there is a minority of posters who cannot resist bragging.  Often we see a phrase along the lines of "we never travel in anything less than Owner's Suite".  Well, that is perfectly fine if they can do that but are they so insecure that they need to broadcast the fact.

 

I cannot understand the dichotomy between what happens on board(ship) and on board (Cruise Critic).

[rcandkc]

We have been on 10 regent cruises and have only encountered one couple that was trying to impress us so much we avoided them the rest of the cruise.  Otherwise, everyone has been delightful.  

[Focused1]

2 hours ago, Sir Humphrey said:

Although I have been following comments on Cruise Critic for some time now, and found it a very valuable resource, I have now felt compelled to sign up and make my first post.

 

Over the past 10 years we have been lucky enough to be able to enjoy a number of cruises, including three on Regent.  One of the delightful things I have found is that, with whomever you meet/dine with/converse, whatever their income level and whatever on-board accommodation they have there is no snobbery or bragging.  Conversation is delightful, informative and easy. Nobody has ever seen the need to announce the cabin they are in.

 

On the Cruise Critic boards (including this one and this thread) , however, there is a minority of posters who cannot resist bragging.  Often we see a phrase along the lines of "we never travel in anything less than Owner's Suite".  Well, that is perfectly fine if they can do that but are they so insecure that they need to broadcast the fact.

 

I cannot understand the dichotomy between what happens on board(ship) and on board (Cruise Critic).

On the other hand, you might run into folks as we did on our recent Explorer cruise, who ask you multiple probing questions about your occupation, age, education,  Suite class, years married, etc. I find these questions equally uncomfortable and gauche as bragging individuals.

[forgap]

HMMMM.....than how do you get to know people if you need to avoid age, occupation, years married,  etc.?  I understand that income (including suite class), religion, and politics are generally off limits on meeting someone, but the rest, in my opinion, is fair game.  I am actually very interested in work outside of my own field.  I’m interested in the paths that people take in life’s journey.   I am always fascinated with the experiences that make each person unique.  That being said, of course you need to be sensitive to someone’s discomfort with disclosure and move on to other topics when those cues are evident.  Unfortunately or fortunately, perfect strangers (especially when I’m in line), always strike up conversations and spill things I have no business knowing!  So, it goes both ways, I guess! 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

1 hour ago, Focused1 said:

On the other hand, you might run into folks as we did on our recent Explorer cruise, who ask you multiple probing questions about your occupation, age, education,  Suite class, years married, etc. I find these questions equally uncomfortable and gauche as bragging individuals.

 

Although I agree with forgap that striking up conversations with strangers could include questions about occupation, and that this can lead to wonderful conversations, I also think that asking about age, education and suite class would be pretty gauche.  I like to avoid religion and politics as well, especially these days.

 

There are always a few unexpected, shall I say, "not nice people" around, even on cruise ships.  The couple who made overtly homophobic jokes while sharing a table with our gay friend, the honeymooner who emotionally abused his wife for the whole trip, the woman who insisted on talking partisan politics even when we asked politely that she change the subject.  We just stay away from them. 

[Wendy The Wanderer]

5 hours ago, Sir Humphrey said:

Although I have been following comments on Cruise Critic for some time now, and found it a very valuable resource, I have now felt compelled to sign up and make my first post.

...

On the Cruise Critic boards (including this one and this thread) , however, there is a minority of posters who cannot resist bragging.  Often we see a phrase along the lines of "we never travel in anything less than Owner's Suite".  Well, that is perfectly fine if they can do that but are they so insecure that they need to broadcast the fact.

 

 

I absolutely agree, Sir Humphrey.  There was a time in the early 2000's, that I stopped reading Cruise Critic completely (and yes, it existed way back then.)  And that was because this board, the then Radisson board, was very elitist.  It was common for posters to talk about how they would never fly coach, for instance.  In those days, I flew coach because I was young(ish), and business class was incredibly exorbitant, and I just couldn't justify it.  I fly PE or Biz whenever I can now, but that's because I'm old, have points, and Regent will offer a good deal on it.

 

It took me several years to come back to CC after that, and by then the tenor had changed.

[DavidTheWonderer]

30 minutes ago, Wendy The Wanderer said:

... There are always a few unexpected, shall I say, "not nice people" around, even on cruise ships.  The couple who made overtly homophobic jokes while sharing a table with our gay friend, the honeymooner who emotionally abused his wife for the whole trip, . ...

Hardly ever are there more than one or two such people. I've sometimes thought that perhaps they were shills hired by the cruise line to give all the passengers something to talk and gossip about.

[wripro]

2 hours ago, forgap said:

HMMMM.....than how do you get to know people if you need to avoid age, occupation, years married,  etc.?  I understand that income (including suite class), religion, and politics are generally off limits on meeting someone, but the rest, in my opinion, is fair game.  I am actually very interested in work outside of my own field.  I’m interested in the paths that people take in life’s journey.   I am always fascinated with the experiences that make each person unique.  That being said, of course you need to be sensitive to someone’s discomfort with disclosure and move on to other topics when those cues are evident.  Unfortunately or fortunately, perfect strangers (especially when I’m in line), always strike up conversations and spill things I have no business knowing!  So, it goes both ways, I guess! 

To any question I get that I find intrusive I have one standard reply......Why do you want to know?

[Xerxes10]

WOW! So many great responses. My summary is that hiccups happen and one should go with the flow. I am advised to look at the overall experience, not single problem and, if necessary, bring a problem to staff's attention.

TC2, I'm sorry to have used a word you don't like. Do you have a synonym in mind?

GOARMY,  we have been on four river cruises (UniWorld) and about six ocean cruises (SilverSeas, Viking, Celebrity) including one on the Voyager a decade ago.

--Xerxes10 (Ed)