Is the Explorer really that bad?

[chaunceyb]

We are booked on the Explorer this coming April, Tokyo to Vancouver. The Explorer reviews here on Cruise Critic paint a picture of a poorly managed ship, especially in the Compass Rose and La Veranda dining rooms. We were on the Navigator, Ireland cruise, July 2022 and also experienced some of the described service issues but chalked that up to the Covid labor challenges .

Really looking forward to sailing on what looks like a beautiful ship, but should we be concerned? Wandering if Regent is aware of these awful reviews and have taken steps to improve in these areas?

Edited December 5, 2023 by chaunceyb

[GOARMY]

TS: 

 

"Awful reviews . . . poorly managed ship. .."  and so-on.  

 

We were most-recently on Explorer this last September-October, Vancouver to Tokyo segment.  You will be going the other way. 

 

Firstly: every cruise segment on every Regent ship--and we have been on all of them except Splendor and Grandeur (Grandeur will be visited in the near-future)--has had a hiccup or two, OR NONE.  And, that is the point. We have had our reasonable expectations met on cruises going back to the Radisson days when aboard Mariner.  That is over the past 20+ years.  Looking forward to boarding Mariner, yet-again, in January.  

 

Yes, Regent is well-aware of passenger feedback, to include reviewing mid-cruise "Comments"  Management listens. Staff has listed to me on those very-few occasions when we (spouse included) felt the need to provide on-board feedback when something was amiss.  Followed up by contacting us for an onboard in-person meeting.  Professional.  Heard us, and responded--appropriately. 

 

Nothing earth shattering.  But, important enough for us to comment; and Regent to make the effort to seek us out, and follow up. We don't sweat the small stuff.  

 

Just be wary of both the "Home Team" rooters; or-or the "Debby Downer" naysayers who look for every variance from what may not have been experienced on a previous segment.  It is interesting to read Post-cruise segment reviews from folks ON THE SAME Cruise who come away with differing opinions.  And, I do not mean just what salad dressing was, or was not, available; and, heaven forbid--and overcooked (or undercooked) lobster in Prime 7.

 

We have also sailed on the other 5+star "small ship/all-inclusive" Lines.  To include, as have you, several aboard Crystal.  (Will give Crystal another try once our trusted Travel Agent advises being comfortable in booking clients aboard another segment.)  

 

So---FWIIW; and another bromide:  Your mileage may vary.

 

Enjoy your cruise.  We plan to enjoy the next three already booked w/Regent.  

 

GOARMY!

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

[Bruce61]

We have been on exactly one Regent cruise - aboard Explorer in Alaska in September 2023,   The cruise was great.  The service was great.  Food in specialty restaurants was great, for lunch and dinner.  Had one bad meal in Compass Rose and chose not to say anything negative as I am sure they would have made it right.  We are booked for a 18 night cruise next July (on Spendor) at a very substantial cost.  Would not do that if we did not trust Regent.

[Dolebludger]

We cruised the Explorer in Alaska last June. The worst problem we experienced  was on the pool deck, where it took all of five minutes for a waiter to show up. Now, this is not a real problem!  Everything else was outstanding. However, we were told that Regent’s land hotel accommodations in Anchorage,  and transfers  were lacking. But we booked our own hotel and land transfers so we had zero problems. The onboard experience was better than the many Regent cruise experiences we have had before (too many to count). I have not read any posts here that report a bad onboard experience on the Explorer. 

[chaunceyb]

5 hours ago, GOARMY said:

TS: 

 

"Awful reviews . . . poorly managed ship. .."  and so-on.  

 

We were most-recently on Explorer this last September-October, Vancouver to Tokyo segment.  You will be going the other way. 

 

Firstly: every cruise segment on every Regent ship--and we have been on all of them except Splendor and Grandeur (Grandeur will be visited in the near-future)--has had a hiccup or two, OR NONE.  And, that is the point. We have had our reasonable expectations met on cruises going back to the Radisson days when aboard Mariner.  That is over the past 20+ years.  Looking forward to boarding Mariner, yet-again, in January.  

 

Yes, Regent is well-aware of passenger feedback, to include reviewing mid-cruise "Comments"  Management listens. Staff has listed to me on those very-few occasions when we (spouse included) felt the need to provide on-board feedback when something was amiss.  Followed up by contacting us for an onboard in-person meeting.  Professional.  Heard us, and responded--appropriately. 

 

Nothing earth shattering.  But, important enough for us to comment; and Regent to make the effort to seek us out, and follow up. We don't sweat the small stuff.  

 

Just be wary of both the "Home Team" rooters; or-or the "Debby Downer" naysayers who look for every variance from what may not have been experienced on a previous segment.  It is interesting to read Post-cruise segment reviews from folks ON THE SAME Cruise who come away with differing opinions.  And, I do not mean just what salad dressing was, or was not, available; and, heaven forbid--and overcooked (or undercooked) lobster in Prime 7.

 

We have also sailed on the other 5+star "small ship/all-inclusive" Lines.  To include, as have you, several aboard Crystal.  (Will give Crystal another try once our trusted Travel Agent advises being comfortable in booking clients aboard another segment.)  

 

So---FWIIW; and another bromide:  Your mileage may vary.

 

Enjoy your cruise.  We plan to enjoy the next three already booked w/Regent.  

 

GOARMY!

 

 

Thanks! I understand that there are those people who will never be satisfied - it appears that the very negative reviews were posted by a 3-4 people on an Asian cruise in November - kinda of suspicious that they all seemed to have the same complaints.

 

   

 

 

 

Edited December 5, 2023 by chaunceyb

[chaunceyb]

4 hours ago, Bruce61 said:

We have been on exactly one Regent cruise - aboard Explorer in Alaska in September 2023,   The cruise was great.  The service was great.  Food in specialty restaurants was great, for lunch and dinner.  Had one bad meal in Compass Rose and chose not to say anything negative as I am sure they would have made it right.  We are booked for a 18 night cruise next July (on Spendor) at a very substantial cost.  Would not do that if we did not trust Regent.

Thanks for your input, we are looking forward to our April cruise!

[chaunceyb]

2 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

We cruised the Explorer in Alaska last June. The worst problem we experienced  was on the pool deck, where it took all of five minutes for a waiter to show up. Now, this is not a real problem!  Everything else was outstanding. However, we were told that Regent’s land hotel accommodations in Anchorage,  and transfers  were lacking. But we booked our own hotel and land transfers so we had zero problems. The onboard experience was better than the many Regent cruise experiences we have had before (too many to count). I have not read any posts here that report a bad onboard experience on the Explorer. 

Thanks!

[jessandarnie]

We are on the same cruise, Tokyo to Vancouver, it is a little concerning to read about certain issues on the Explorer. We realise everything is not perfect all the time. This cruise is not inexpensive by no means, we are looking forward to experiencing a quality time on board with each other & enjoy what Regent promotes in their advertising. I am always positive..

[mj_holiday]

When , we were making plans for our first cruise on Regent. I was reading reviews in Cruise critic, some of the not so good reviews were ridiculous and what they complained about were pitiful. I try to balance the bad with the good. The good has always been part of the trips we have been on. 

[pappy1022]

I can’t comment on the Explorer ship but I recently got back to cruising and I was on Splendor in September 2023. You can read my very detailed reports in previous postings if you desire to do so. I have been one of those people who is not afraid to criticize Regent if they don’t meet expectations. Expectations are a personal thing and everyone is different and as GOARMY said, each ship and each cruise is different. For example, the friends we were with had the full big bus experience with included transfers to and from the ship, the hotel and the airport. It was a bit chaotic and not a great experience. We, on the other hand, somehow lucked out and got a private transfer to and from the airport and hotels. I guess we were lucky (twice) but for us it was a great experience. My overall impression of Regent is that it is an excellent product but with room for improvement. Our ship was beautiful and the accommodations were excellent. Here’s where expectations come in, but I felt the dining venue service and/or food was inconsistent, ranging from great to just OK, but mostly very good. I’m sure that people get tired of hearing me complain about Destination Services but they are the Achilles heel for Regent but some people had a great experience with them. Go figure. Different expectations and different experiences. It’s just the life of cruising. Having said all that, I still had a wonderful cruise and I will sail with Regent again if their itinerary is appealing to me but I’m not married to any one cruise line. For example, my next cruise is to the French Polynesia and I considered Regent but decided on Paul Gauguin because I liked their itinerary better and they sail in the month that I wanted to cruise. Go have fun, be flexible and don’t let the little stuff become the big stuff. 

[fudge]

I was on the Explorer with go army, really nice guy. If you want to read my blog search Fudge, Explorer, Vancouver/Alaska/Japan. Its long but very detailed warts and all, it was Vancouver to Japan starting 20th September.

[carolina cruisin]

1 hour ago, pappy1022 said:

I can’t comment on the Explorer ship but I recently got back to cruising and I was on Splendor in September 2023. You can read my very detailed reports in previous postings if you desire to do so. I have been one of those people who is not afraid to criticize Regent if they don’t meet expectations. Expectations are a personal thing and everyone is different and as GOARMY said, each ship and each cruise is different. For example, the friends we were with had the full big bus experience with included transfers to and from the ship, the hotel and the airport. It was a bit chaotic and not a great experience. We, on the other hand, somehow lucked out and got a private transfer to and from the airport and hotels. I guess we were lucky (twice) but for us it was a great experience. My overall impression of Regent is that it is an excellent product but with room for improvement. Our ship was beautiful and the accommodations were excellent. Here’s where expectations come in, but I felt the dining venue service and/or food was inconsistent, ranging from great to just OK, but mostly very good. I’m sure that people get tired of hearing me complain about Destination Services but they are the Achilles heel for Regent but some people had a great experience with them. Go figure. Different expectations and different experiences. It’s just the life of cruising. Having said all that, I still had a wonderful cruise and I will sail with Regent again if their itinerary is appealing to me but I’m not married to any one cruise line. For example, my next cruise is to the French Polynesia and I considered Regent but decided on Paul Gauguin because I liked their itinerary better and they sail in the month that I wanted to cruise. Go have fun, be flexible and don’t let the little stuff become the big stuff. 

You will not regret sailing on Paul Gaguin.  One of our most memorable trips!!

[ICT lineman]

We were also on the Vancouver to Tokyo with goarmy, jessandarnie and met mr. fudge. We continued onward for 11 days to Korea and back to Tokyo. This was our second Regent cruise and second time on Explorer. Previous cruises have been on HAL Zaandam, both Oceania O ships and 3 of the 4 Oceania R ships = Gold level Oceania Club member.

 

Our experiences was that Explorer was in excellent condition and crew were always cordial and helpful.

 

We were in a Concierge E stateroom which is the same size as a O ship Penthouse and slightly larger that a R ship Penthouse. The walk in closet with a 2 sink bathroom were much nicer than a Oceania O ship Penthouse (R ship closet is not walk in). Really liked that the bed faced the balcony, was hard to figure out how the illy® Espresso Maker worked, mini-frig and bar were always stocked with desired soda and requested liqueur. Internet 🛜 was reasonably reliable throughout but live TV was off when in port due to local regulations 👎.

 

Noticeable difference from Oceania was that the La Veranda buffet is self service while the Regent Pool Grill menu is far superior to Oceania Waves. Sette Mari at La Veranda was not to our liking and a major disappointment so the majority of our evening meals were in Compass Rose were service was comparable to Oceania but the daily different right-side menu items were uninspiring. The evening menu at Oceania Terrace Cafe offers more variety with frequent themed dinners. IOO, Regent and Oceania Specialty restaurants are equal and Regent excursions, while included, were not really different than Oceania pay-as-you go selections.

 

Yes, this cruise stretch our budget but the attention from the crew was outstanding and superior to Oceania experiences. The no key card open bar was handy and the wine list far superior. A Oceania Penthouse with Beverage package fits our needs so while we enjoyed our time onboard, $ wise, I doubt we will sail Regent again. 

 

 

 

Edited December 5, 2023 by ICT lineman

[chaunceyb]

10 hours ago, pappy1022 said:

I can’t comment on the Explorer ship but I recently got back to cruising and I was on Splendor in September 2023. You can read my very detailed reports in previous postings if you desire to do so. I have been one of those people who is not afraid to criticize Regent if they don’t meet expectations. Expectations are a personal thing and everyone is different and as GOARMY said, each ship and each cruise is different. For example, the friends we were with had the full big bus experience with included transfers to and from the ship, the hotel and the airport. It was a bit chaotic and not a great experience. We, on the other hand, somehow lucked out and got a private transfer to and from the airport and hotels. I guess we were lucky (twice) but for us it was a great experience. My overall impression of Regent is that it is an excellent product but with room for improvement. Our ship was beautiful and the accommodations were excellent. Here’s where expectations come in, but I felt the dining venue service and/or food was inconsistent, ranging from great to just OK, but mostly very good. I’m sure that people get tired of hearing me complain about Destination Services but they are the Achilles heel for Regent but some people had a great experience with them. Go figure. Different expectations and different experiences. It’s just the life of cruising. Having said all that, I still had a wonderful cruise and I will sail with Regent again if their itinerary is appealing to me but I’m not married to any one cruise line. For example, my next cruise is to the French Polynesia and I considered Regent but decided on Paul Gauguin because I liked their itinerary better and they sail in the month that I wanted to cruise. Go have fun, be flexible and don’t let the little stuff become the big stuff. 

Thanks for your thoughtful post! And yes we do not let the little things bother us or nor do we go looking for issues.

[chaunceyb]

7 hours ago, ICT lineman said:

We were also on the Vancouver to Tokyo with goarmy, jessandarnie and met mr. fudge. We continued onward for 11 days to Korea and back to Tokyo. This was our second Regent cruise and second time on Explorer. Previous cruises have been on HAL Zaandam, both Oceania O ships and 3 of the 4 Oceania R ships = Gold level Oceania Club member.

 

Our experiences was that Explorer was in excellent condition and crew were always cordial and helpful.

 

We were in a Concierge E stateroom which is the same size as a O ship Penthouse and slightly larger that a R ship Penthouse. The walk in closet with a 2 sink bathroom were much nicer than a Oceania O ship Penthouse (R ship closet is not walk in). Really liked that the bed faced the balcony, was hard to figure out how the illy® Espresso Maker worked, mini-frig and bar were always stocked with desired soda and requested liqueur. Internet 🛜 was reasonably reliable throughout but live TV was off when in port due to local regulations 👎.

 

Noticeable difference from Oceania was that the La Veranda buffet is self service while the Regent Pool Grill menu is far superior to Oceania Waves. Sette Mari at La Veranda was not to our liking and a major disappointment so the majority of our evening meals were in Compass Rose were service was comparable to Oceania but the daily different right-side menu items were uninspiring. The evening menu at Oceania Terrace Cafe offers more variety with frequent themed dinners. IOO, Regent and Oceania Specialty restaurants are equal and Regent excursions, while included, were not really different than Oceania pay-as-you go selections.

 

Yes, this cruise stretch our budget but the attention from the crew was outstanding and superior to Oceania experiences. The no key card open bar was handy and the wine list far superior. A Oceania Penthouse with Beverage package fits our needs so while we enjoyed our time onboard, $ wise, I doubt we will sail Regent again. 

 

 

 

Thanks!

[chaunceyb]

19 hours ago, Dolebludger said:

We cruised the Explorer in Alaska last June. The worst problem we experienced  was on the pool deck, where it took all of five minutes for a waiter to show up. Now, this is not a real problem!  Everything else was outstanding. However, we were told that Regent’s land hotel accommodations in Anchorage,  and transfers  were lacking. But we booked our own hotel and land transfers so we had zero problems. The onboard experience was better than the many Regent cruise experiences we have had before (too many to count). I have not read any posts here that report a bad onboard experience on the Explorer. 

Thanks!

[MotuIslander]

9 hours ago, carolina cruisin said:

You will not regret sailing on Paul Gaguin.  One of our most memorable trips!!

PG spent it's first 8 years as Regent (which was originally Radisson). They are still very similar in terms of customer service. Some of the crew have been on board for 25 years (Hi Rafi!)

[chaunceyb]

11 hours ago, jessandarnie said:

We are on the same cruise, Tokyo to Vancouver, it is a little concerning to read about certain issues on the Explorer. We realise everything is not perfect all the time. This cruise is not inexpensive by no means, we are looking forward to experiencing a quality time on board with each other & enjoy what Regent promotes in their advertising. I am always positive..

As my wife and I have been to Tokyo before, we decided to "do our own thing" during the Tokyo 3 day Pre-Cruise. Going to Kamakura one day and then into the Tokyo country side the second day. We normally have to take long flights to go on cruises, but not this time as we live in Hawaii, 8 hour, 45 minute direct flight on ANA. We enjoyed sailing on the Navigator around Ireland in Kuly 2022.

[taxare]

Similar to others, I had posted earlier about the disappointing Vibrant Tokyo pre-cruise. However once we got on the Explorer we had an excellent voyage. We had one issue come up, we noted it on the mid-cruise comments and during dinner at Pacific Rim one of the officers came up to our table to apologize and to thank us for our constructive comments.  We have sailed on Regent twelve times and unless there is an itinerary they don't offer, we will continue our ocean cruising with them. 

[Whinenowine]

12 hours ago, chaunceyb said:

As my wife and I have been to Tokyo before, we decided to "do our own thing" during the Tokyo 3 day Pre-Cruise. Going to Kamakura one day and then into the Tokyo country side the second day. We normally have to take long flights to go on cruises, but not this time as we live in Hawaii, 8 hour, 45 minute direct flight on ANA. We enjoyed sailing on the Navigator around Ireland in Kuly 2022.

Visited Kamakura a few times when I lived in Japan in the 90's. Beautiful, and I imagine it's not changed much in the last 25yrs.  😁

 

@chaunceyb--btw...it's funny how where one lives can redefine long vs short trips.  I think for most people a 9hr flight would be quite long, but not if you live in the 50th state (which I think is where most of us Northeasterners would prefer to be right about now--35degrees and cloudy here).

[forgap]

We plan to go to Kamakura as well.  I found a great diy walking tour.  We have a day to kill between our land trip and our cruise.  As a teen, I spent considerable time there as it was close to Yokosuka where we were stationed for 4 years in the 60’s.  
 

https://blog.japanwondertravel.com/hidden-places-kamakura-10168

[many cruises]

There were many problems on board the Explorer.  We were on board for a Japan Cruise in October.  The MDR staff was serving incorrect dinners to the wrong people at our table.  The food was continuously cold and the service left much to be desired.  We ate there only twice because of these issues.  The Sette Mare location served what was supposed to be Italian food, but it was tasteless.  The Chartreuse Restaurant was another restaurant serving food that was tasteless, too.  

 

The worst problems we experienced were on the included excursions in Japan.  Day after day, our excursions had guides who read from a script.  The Japanese guides spoke little English and we had much difficulty understanding what they were trying to say.  Many people visited the destinations desk and expressed their dissatisfaction with these tours.  I am still astonished about the quality of these excursions on Regent.  This was not a luxury cruise in any way shape or form.  

[mj_holiday]

I recently saw a you tube video on Japan cruise trip (cannot find it now) and the narrator stated that in Japan being a tour guide is not considered a profession, trying to let us understand what not to expect.

[jjs217]

23 hours ago, many cruises said:

There were many problems on board the Explorer.  We were on board for a Japan Cruise in October.  The MDR staff was serving incorrect dinners to the wrong people at our table.  The food was continuously cold and the service left much to be desired.  We ate there only twice because of these issues.  The Sette Mare location served what was supposed to be Italian food, but it was tasteless.  The Chartreuse Restaurant was another restaurant serving food that was tasteless, too.  

 

The worst problems we experienced were on the included excursions in Japan.  Day after day, our excursions had guides who read from a script.  The Japanese guides spoke little English and we had much difficulty understanding what they were trying to say.  Many people visited the destinations desk and expressed their dissatisfaction with these tours.  I am still astonished about the quality of these excursions on Regent.  This was not a luxury cruise in any way shape or form.  

It looks like you really enjoy the main lines (Holland, Princess, RCL), maybe the luxury lines just aren't to your taste.

[pappy1022]

That was a useful response.