First Impressions of the Explorer - 2/21/22

[mj_holiday]

On our last Regent cruise (oh so long ago) I made sure to provide a description on the comment card  of the wonderful things I experienced a certain staff member do.  Within 2 days of turning this in, her supervisor sought me out to thank me for the good review.  He said he will be able to use this in her employee review for salary upgrade and/or promotions.

 

My understanding is that the mid cruise comment card stays on board.  The end of cruise (electronic) survey goes to headquarters.  They are both important.

[UUNetBill]

On 2/27/2022 at 3:36 PM, Aloha 1 said:

And apparently Navigator sailing upside down. No clue why it posted that way. 

 

I'll save my pics for posting after we return on 3/3.

I thought she was sailing in Australia or NZ...

[UUNetBill]

On 2/27/2022 at 8:31 AM, LewiLewi said:

After 160 cruises on most other cruise lines, we found Regent Explorer to be far and away our favorite ship. We loved dining in all of the restaurants, Pacific Rim and Prime 7 were our favorites. Lunch in La Verandah was delightful; buffet plus burgers and hot dogs delivered to our outdoor table by a wonderful crew. Tea at 4 PM was a must. Even room service was excellent. We just left the ship two weeks ago, but cannot wait to cruise with them again. I wonder if the Navigator would be as comparable an experience?

Having sailed on both Navigator and Explorer several times (and most recently on Splendor, Explorer's younger sibling) I can say that Navigator will have a different feel and comes with some things you need to know about, mostly related to vibration and noise.  Navigator also doesn't have Pacific Rim or Chartreuse and there's no Connoisseur Club if that matters to you.  She's a smaller, older ship that tends to elicit a love it or hate it reaction - we fall in the former, but there are people who won't sail on her due to her quirks.

 

But it's been our experience that the cabins are nice, the crew is Regent quality throughout, and the ship just feels more intimate.  Our first cruise was on Navigator, maybe that's why we're in the 'love it' camp, but for us, the ship is just a part of the experience.  We're booked on her again in '24 (the earliest we could find an itinerary that worked for us) and we're looking forward to being back onboard.

[Aloha 1]

So today is mask freedom day! I would say the vast majority of passengers have ditched them. It is a shame the crew still must wear them.

 

And as we are now mask free, there is a 30th Anniversary Celebration in the Atrium tonite along with the return of Crew Capers in the theatre.

 

This has been a very enjoyable return to the sea for us. Back to Pacific Rim this evening for another course of Hoisin glazed ribs and lobster tempura!

[GOARMY]

All: 

 

Possibly of benefit to first, or second-time Regent cruisers--or, whomever:  Just an observation from an old-time Radisson/Regent guy concerning mid- and end of cruise comment inputs.  Certainly, these are important.  However, 

 

If there is a particular "something" that you experience on the first, or second, or whatever cruise day or night--positive or "negative":  suggest IMMMEDIATE feedback to Front Desk in the form of a personal visit to turn in a written comment; or simply discuss the matter.  Trust me:  the Staff person will carefully note what you are saying by, literally, writing it down; confirm your Suite No., and such; and thank you for taking the time to provide feedback.   

 

It could be a relatively-minor interaction you had with a Server at the Pool Grill, and that person's smile when promptly attending to a request for a specific beverage. It could be something more significant as to delay in servicing your Suite.  Whatever.  

 

I could cite several examples from our experiences, but will not, other than confirm we obtained almost-immediate feedback via a telephone message from a particular Manager; or, on one occasion--having a Senior Officer seek me out while I was reading a book in Mariner's Library to review my concern.  Yes, Staff know who you are, and what you look like. Like, you are on their ship.

 

Result:  my concern was confirmed, and appropriate action taken.   

 

GOARMY!

 

 

 

 

 

[rkaratsu]

Well just packed up and unfortunately this cruise is at its end. Just a few more impressions and final thoughts: 

 

First of all, a lovely cruise. If nothing else, the service on Regent was stellar. (And everyone I talked to/overheard seemed to agree with this. Maybe most (like I) were just happy to escape from COVID hell but this was a great cruise.

 

For someone who asked, the next cruise will be at around 55% capacity (even less than this one which never felt close to being crowded anywhere). But the following (the TA) will be going off at their new (temporary) capacity (75%+) which even then doesn’t sound too bad! 
 

- Dinner tonight was at Chartreuse (first time) and it was good. Definitely save room for the apple tarte tartin for dessert! (And it was nice to talk to the chef afterwards to ask him about things like where he sources the foie gras and how much butter goes into the pommes purée).

 

- For the final cruise eval, it is all online now. (I’m going to be curious how many people actually respond to it; it sounds like it is something new. You do need to fill it out before you disembark). I personally didn’t like the format of the survey since it never really you the opportunity to just write in comments. (Rather, most was just “rate this on a scale of excellent to poor”. (But more important, as Mr. GO ARMY says, don’t be afraid to say something to someone the moment).

 

- As far as food, looking back, the best things I ate were the miso black cod in Pacific Rim (which was my fave restaurant, followed by Sette Mari and Compass Rose which IMO is the best main dining room at sea bar none), followed by the roast chicken one day at lunch in La Veranda and the apple tarte I had tonight. Bottom line is you won’t go hungry.

 

Of course, there were a few things I wasn’t crazy about: As mentioned earlier, the wifi isn’t good. (I wouldn’t try and do any kind of serious work if you need to do it online). Also mentioned elsewhere, the sight lines in the theater from almost anywhere on Deck 5 are not good. In my PHC cabin (840), I missed having a bathtub. (And I have yet to figure out how the lights work; just when I thought I knew, it seems like the switches did something different the next time! ☹️). And I think the complimentary red wine list could up its game. 

But finally, to sum up this cruise, I uploaded my one and only photo! (It is a double rainbow that graced us while in St. Kitts. As they say, one picture is worth…)

 

To all future Regent cruiser, enjoy! (We can’t wait for our 2023 cruises to NZ/AUS, British Isles and Japan!)

 

Edited March 3, 2022 by rkaratsu

[mpclaw]

On 2/28/2022 at 10:37 AM, rkaratsu said:

There are two different kinds of exercise bicycles in the gym, the regular ones (that have a TV) and then other more streamlined bicycles that look to have a place to put your phone.  (I personally am not familiar with a spin bike but whatever these are, there are a bunch of them! Brand is Technogym if that helps).

 

(And the only scale I have found on board is tucked away in the gym as well. I sure hope it was broken when I tested it... 🤕) 

Thanks for the information about the spin bikes. With regard to a scale in the gym, I have found that most scales including those in doctor’s offices and medical clinics are very inaccurate so as a general rule I stay off of them. 🤣🤣

[GOARMY]

rkaratsu:  Acknowledging your Post #31. 

 

We may be shipmates--if your reference to 2023 and Tokyo is Explorer's September-October Vancouver, B.C. to Tokyo segment.  We will then remain in Tokyo for a three-day Add On before returning to the Great Pacific Northwest. 

 

This is our fourth attempt to get to Tokyo, having had the previous three on various Regent ships canceled due to COVID. 

 

Hope for the best. 

 

GOARMY!

   

[Stickman1990]

42 minutes ago, GOARMY said:

We may be shipmates--if your reference to 2023 and Tokyo is Explorer's September-October Vancouver, B.C. to Tokyo segment. 

 

You can add us to that list as well, we're looking to our first time in Alaska and getting back to Japan - I've just started a roll call for that cruise @

 

[1982CruzStart]

thanks rkaratsu for your summation. Always enjoy reading people's thoughts. Glad you had a great time. 

[Aloha 1]

Just adding my final comments on this cruise. We had a PH Suite and it was perfect. Loved the shower with the two rows of side jets.  Excellent service from our butler and steward.

I highly recommend the pool grill for dinner, especially Rohan on the grill. He is a master. Had perfectly grilled fish and lamb chops! Pacific Rim was our clear winner. Delivered excellence on both  visits. The hoisin glazed ribs and lobster tempura are terrific. Breakfast in la Veranda does get a bit mundane but then there are only so many ways to do eggs.

 

Service overall was outstanding and the Regent signature guest experience of the crew knowing your name and greeting you by it is still there. 

 

Regent is still having trouble getting staff out of their home countries and some contracts have been extended into April to help cover this. Plus the invasion of Ukraine has limited staff from there and a rumor I picked up was that some current staff from Ukraine may quit their contract once Explorer reaches Europe in a couple weeks to join the fight. May God be with them. 

 

All in all, after 8 cancelled cruises since 1/20, it was great to be back at sea. Thank you, Regent team, for a wonderful ten days. 

[Aloha 1]

3 minutes ago, Aloha 1 said:

Just adding my final comments on this cruise. We had a PH Suite and it was perfect. Loved the shower with the two rows of side jets.  Excellent service from our butler and steward.

I highly recommend the pool grill for dinner, especially Rohan on the grill. He is a master. Had perfectly grilled fish and lamb chops! Pacific Rim was our clear winner. Delivered excellence on both  visits. The hoisin glazed ribs and lobster tempura are terrific. Breakfast in la Veranda does get a bit mundane but then there are only so many ways to do eggs.

 

Service overall was outstanding and the Regent signature guest experience of the crew knowing your name and greeting you by it is still there. 

 

Regent is still having trouble getting staff out of their home countries and some contracts have been extended into April to help cover this. Plus the invasion of Ukraine has limited staff from there and a rumor I picked up was that some current staff from Ukraine may quit their contract once Explorer reaches Europe in a couple weeks to join the fight. May God be with them. 

 

All in all, after 8 cancelled cruises since 1/20, it was great to be back at sea. Thank you, Regent team, for a wonderful ten days. 

Oh, one more comment. On windy days, if you circle your Suite deck, it's .2 miles.

[ChucktownSteve]

On 2/26/2022 at 6:07 PM, PinkMEB said:

Just ended two weeks on Splendor. Fortunately I did not see any bare chested men at the pool grill. 

What about women? 😆

[WNcruiser]

@rkaratsu Did you stay on ships time or did they have you change time to match the ports? Thanks. 

[2012_Alaska_bound]

29 minutes ago, WNcruiser said:

@rkaratsu Did you stay on ships time or did they have you change time to match the ports? Thanks. 

 

You change time to match ports.

[skybluewaters]

On 2/26/2022 at 3:12 PM, mrstanley said:

The beef served on Regent is not Prime Beef as is served in some of the top steakhouses in the US. 
 

Not worth ordering beef onboard unless it’s Beef Wellington. They prepare that quite well.

 

 

Are you certain that the beef is not Prime?  This is from Regent website under Prime 7:

 

Of course, beef is the undisputed star, and it is all USDA Prime and Dry-Aged at least 28 days to ensure the ultimate tenderness, juiciness and flavor.

[rkaratsu]

6 hours ago, WNcruiser said:

@rkaratsu Did you stay on ships time or did they have you change time to match the ports? Thanks. 

You really don't have a choice! 😀 Besides getting these little notes left on your bed the night before the time change, your room steward will change the time of your clock and the time on the TV will all reflect whatever the time is in whatever port you are in.

[rkaratsu]

5 hours ago, skybluewaters said:

 

Are you certain that the beef is not Prime?  This is from Regent website under Prime 7:

 

Of course, beef is the undisputed star, and it is all USDA Prime and Dry-Aged at least 28 days to ensure the ultimate tenderness, juiciness and flavor.

Here is something that I found interesting regarding the beef on at least the most recent Explorer cruise I was on (last week): There was a *very* well known chef on board (travelling with a group in the Regent Suite; this chef was on Iron Chef America and actually defeated Bobby Flay if this means anything) and I had a chance to talk to him a bit at the Pool Bar.  Basically, he thought the food was good and *loved* the grilled lamb chops at the Pool Grill.  (He had two every night as a appetizer before dinner!) 

 

But wasn't thrilled with the beef.  I asked if this was because using an open flame to grill meat on a ship being verboten was the issue and he said no, using a cast iron skillet over an induction burner was fine.  I then asked if on this ship, because of volume using a cast iron skillet to cook meat ala minute was an issue and he didn't think this would be an issue (although said that he had not been in the galley). 

 

Take this for what it is worth but at least with the steak and prime rib (I know, this isn't grilled) I had in Prime 7, the preparation of either was not the issue... 

[Gilly]

10 hours ago, 2012_Alaska_bound said:

You change time to match ports.

And occasionally, "ship's time" might not be exactly the same as the "real world time" on sea days.  So crossing from Tokyo to Vancouver, during that long stretch (including the date line), time became quite the talking point.  My apologies for linking to my blog again, but it saves me explaining further!

[WNcruiser]

3 hours ago, Gilly said:

And occasionally, "ship's time" might not be exactly the same as the "real world time" on sea days.  So crossing from Tokyo to Vancouver, during that long stretch (including the date line), time became quite the talking point.  My apologies for linking to my blog again, but it saves me explaining further!

My question was specifically for the 12 night Caribbean that this topic is about. Nothing to do with crossing the Pacific. 

[Gilly]

16 minutes ago, WNcruiser said:

My question was specifically for the 12 night Caribbean that this topic is about. Nothing to do with crossing the Pacific. 

 And my intention was to add what I thought was a helpful example of how Regent sometimes manages time differences on board since someone upthread ( @Stickman1990 and @GOARMY )  had said they were sailing that route.  I  have nothing to say about the Caribbean.

Edited March 7, 2022 by Gilly

[mj_holiday]

The Captain identifies when to change times, and sometimes it may not match what your smartphone is telling you.  To avoid getting back to the ship late and being left behind, need to make sure you check the ship's time - I always look at the clock on one of the TV channels. Also, note the "All Aboard" time, probably in Passages and usually on a sign as you leave the ship.

[forgap]

Play nice, please. 

[forgap]

3 hours ago, WNcruiser said:

My question was specifically for the 12 night Caribbean that this topic is about. Nothing to do with crossing the Pacific. 

Play nice, please!

[GOARMY]

forgap:  

 

You took the words out of my mouth.  

 

mj_holiday's advice may seem obvious:  But, it is "timely" advice.  On one occasion--when in the 'Carib--

 

(please note, WNcruiser)

 

returned to Navigator in the late afternoon after a group excursion.  This involved van travel.  Our van had broken down.  Another van was dispatched to pick us up.  No issues there; the ship waited.  We finally arrived about 15 minutes after the posted "all aboard" time.

 

Safely aboard when, just--happened to notice a couple walking, rather leisurely down the pier toward the ship; then, suddenly breaking into a run.  This--as I also noted, crew was taking down the gangway's guardrails.  Our fellow-travelers had, obviously, miscalculated the time.  They just-made it.  

 

Later that evening, observed same couple at a nearby table in conversation with several others.  They were laughing, sorta, about their experience.  Seems they had forgotten--or neglected--to check the ship's time against their "local" (watch) time. They had been on an independent shore adventure.  Everything was copasetic until observing the crew's actions.  They were "off" by an hour. 

 

Fortunately, for them, our van's breakdown probably afforded them that breathing room.  

 

Time and Tide (and cruise ships) wait for no man or woman.  

 

Stay kind.  

 

GOARMY!