Voyager comparison to Explorer?

[BearClaws]

We just completed our first Regent cruise on the Explorer and absolutely loved it.

Now we are interested in a future cruise to Northern Europe which happens to be

on the Voyager.  Would love to hear impressions of Voyager, especially of the suites and any differences to be aware of.  We stayed in a PH on the Explorer, and our adult kids were in Concierge.  Would we be disappointed in the Voyager?

[daetchief]

Samuel Clemons once remarked: "It is Opinions that make the Horse Race Interesting" 

They are different ships - but they are the same Regent Experience.   The Voyager is smaller - thus more intimate.  The Explorer is larger, thus more dining options and rooms are larger - though there are a few more passengers. 

We were also in a Penthouse[B] Suite on Explorer and afterwards a Concierge Suite on Voyager.  It was fine.  We had a Seven Seas Suite [Fwd] on Mariner and will soon be in a Concierge Suite on Splendor.   Will that be a problem?  I don't think so.  As I've joked before:  You can place me in the Regent Suite on a Grand Voyage and it wouldn't change me a bit.   

And I'd Love to have the Opportunity to Prove that. . .

Enjoy your Voyages of Discovery

[DeepFreeze63]

Lots of personal preferences involved in such a comparison!

 

We have done 20 Regent cruises; just off the Voyager (7/30/2022) and sailed on the Explorer in February 2022. We have cruised 8 times on the Voyager (3 times in PH B) and 7 times on the Explorer (never in PH; once in Explorer Ste. but usually in Concierge). As luck would have it, we have reserved 4 future Voyager cruises (73 nights) and 2 Explorer cruises (also 73 nights).

 

Our favorite ship, based upon our 1 TA, is the Splendor, in Concierge. But ALAS, she doesn’t go where we want to go!

 

Recent Voyager cruises have been selected because of their itineraries. We heartily enjoyed our recent Voyager cruise but it had a lot uniquely going for it – Iceland/Greenland, special Regent 30year anniversary cruise, and also we sailed with our youngest grandson, So!!!!

For us, the comparison of the ships is:

·       Explorer has MUCH nicer cabins. Our recent PH B cabin was “dated” (especially the bathroom)and tight on storage space for a 15-day cruise. 

·       Voyager theater has great sight lines and can be walked through safely. Explorer theater has terrible sight lines and even after modifications the steps on ground floor present DW difficulty with the lights dimmed.

·       Aft lounge on Voyager is very enjoyable. We only used the Explorer’s aft infinity pool once.

·       We love the Explorer's light lunches in Prime7 and/or Chartreuse; much nicer than lunches in Voyager’s CR.

Otherwise we expect the same Regent experience of staff service and passenger  comradery.

[mj_holiday]

We have cruised on both Explorer and Voyager.  To me, the Explorer often lets you forget you are on a ship, and I enjoy being on a ship at sea.  The Explorer is very nice indeed.  We enjoyed both ships.   The Voyager only have 2 specialty restaurants, but we enjoy the Main Dining Room so much with the great menu, that we don't miss the additional restaurant that the Explorer has.  Voyager has a better Theater.  Explorer Theater has some areas with seats behind a column and the aisle and steps are very hard to see where you step and where you don't.

Be sure to understand the size of the suites on the Voyager before you book, since they are not the same as Explorer.

If I had to decide between the two ships for the same itinerary - it would be a hard choice.  They are both very nice.

[flossie009]

We have enjoyed sailing on both ships and they each have their own unique attributes.

Since we are ambivalent about having a butler (nice to have but not essential) we opt for a G grade suite on Voyager; F2 on Explorer.

 

[1982CruzStart]

I sail for the itinerary so the ship is less of a choice for me. Most of our cruises have been on Voyager and really enjoy her but if Voyager and Explorer were offering the exact same itinerary we want for about the same price, I would pick Explorer over Voyager. The F2 suites on Explorer are better than the equivalent suites on Voyager as well I really enjoy going to Pacific Rim and being able to have lunch in the specialty restaurants.  At the moment we have only 1 more cruise booked (we had to cancel this year and last) and it is on Voyager cuz it is going where we want to go.  I will be looking for a cruise to book using onboard booking for Explorer or Splendor going forward for the reasons stated above. 

[wishIweretravelling]

Unlike on Explorer, penthouses on Voyager are not very different from the Deluxe Verandah or Concierge suites. Some are slightly larger than the verandah cabins, but most are the same size. None have the two rooms that the Penthouses do on Explorer.