Xpedition for a Regent cruiser

[CLOU]

I am booked on the Xpedition for this November, in one of the suites. I have read the long Xpedition thread and I can hardly wait. However, I generally cruise on Regent (formerly Radisson) and I was wondering if there was anyone who has been on the Xpedition who is also a Regent cruiser and can tell me what to expect in comparison. I am going for the destination and the cruise sounds great, so I am not worried, but I was just curious.

[RachelG]

I'll report back--I am on the Xpedition 5/24 cruise!

I have been on expedition type ships before, and while it is a totally different experience that Regent, they have been wonderful (did Costa Rica with what was then Temptress but is now Lindblad and Alaska with Glacier Bay). You just have to adjust your expectations. You are there for the experience and the place, not the ship. The ship is just how you get there. Food has always been acceptable if not great. People have been really wonderful, similar to Regent in that regard.

[CLOU]

Thanks Rachel, I will be interested to hear back. I am not hard to please, and am not expecting luxury. As you stated, I am going for the experience. Still, I have gotten spoiled and don't think I would enjoy a cruise on a mega ship and I have gotten used to not having to sign for everything. I am expecting that the the Xpedition, being so intimate and all inclusive should be fine.

[RachelG]

We're back now. My longer review can be found here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=158948&page=126.

 

I will address comparisons with Regent here, but remember as I said before, the Xpedition cruise is mainly about the place.

The Xpedition is a small ship (100 passengers) and the closest Regent comparison would be the PG. Cabins are very similar in size and design to the ones on 4th deck of PG. Bathroom on X is much smaller, but I actually liked it better because it is very well designed with a shower that doesn't leak water all over the room. It is definitely a 1 person bath. Closet space is the same as PG. Beds are about the same and actually very comfortable. Towels are rough, not near the quality of those on Voyager.

Toiletries are no name. They come out of dispensers attached to the wall and are rather harsh. I know they have changed toiletries recently on Regent, so can't compare to those, but not nearly as nice as the Aveda stuff.

Crew on X are very pleasant but in general not nearly as proactive as on Regent. There were some exceptions though. The dining room manager and bartender on X were outstanding--could get a job on Regent any day. Some of the wait staff in the dining room were really new to the job and needed some work. But they were all so very nice that it was hard to find fault, and they would do anything to help you.

The house keepers weren't nearly as visible as on Regent--you had to seek them out if you needed something. I had to specifically ask everytime to have my frig restocked with water, unlike Regent where they would check each day. And the only thing they put in the frig is water--no soft drinks or beer. You have to go to the bar to get those.

Never used room service so can't comment.

Massages were reasonably priced (unlike Regent) and well done according to what people told me. Laundry was also reasonable and had a quick turnaround. There is no self service laundry.

Internet service was reasonably priced but slow connecting at times. There is no Wi-Fi.

Exercise room is a joke--there are some machines outside on the top deck. Like who would run on a treadmill in 85 degree heat. And they are right by the lounge chairs. I never saw anyone using them. Would be better to take them away and add more lounge chairs as there were times when getting one in the shade was impossible.

Food--no comparison. Regent is in a total, way better, league. My husband would start complaining, and I would have to remind him that "this is not Regent".

Some of the food problem has to do with the restrictions on importing food items to the Galapagos though. The beef on X was really bad. The hamburgers were inedible. But they can use only local beef. Fruits and veges were very fresh, just not a lot of variety. Most soups and desserts were good. Presentation on the plate was well done at dinner (all other meals are strictly buffets). They did have awesome ceviche and really good seafood however. The Ecuadorian dishes were all good.

Drinks are all-inclusive but there is absolutely no variety to the beer or wine. Only Pilsener beer and maybe one other. All wines were from the same Chilean vineyard--a cab, a merlot, a malbec and a chard. Same night after night and clearly toward to low end of the price spectrum but drinkable.

They did make a good margarita. And the iced tea is fresh brewed and way better than what you get on Regent unless you specifically instruct the waiter in how to brew tea then make it into iced tea (which is what we have done).

[CLOU]

Thanks Rachel. Your responses are kind of what I expected. I have been the one pushing for this trip, and it is obviously because of the destination. It sounds like the accommodations, food and amenities are generally acceptable, and the destination makes up for any shortfalls. I appreciate the comparisons to the PG. The PG always gets voted one of the best ships, but that is clearly due, at least in part, to the destination, since the ship itself is not as nice as the other Regent ships, in my opinion. We will be in a suite on X so we will have a little more room. I will have to keep reminding my husband that it is not Regent, but that's okay. From your main review it sounds like the trip is still well worth it. We don't leave till the end of November, so I have almost 6 more months to wait.

[RachelG]

CLOU, you need to set your husband's expectations ahead of time and then just keep reminding him at first for sure. However, once he had done a couple of really great snokeling excursions, my husband was much more forgiving of the food and drink issues.

[CLOU]

And my expectations too, since we have cruised Regent 9 times and we have gotten very used to that level of ship and service. But, I chose this cruise and I have been following the boards, so I am more prepared. However, we are going for the islands and the wildlife and not the facilities, so as long as you were not disappointed on that end, I am sure we will have a great time. Plus, although it is not Regent, most of the people on these boards seem to be content, if not more than that, with the facilities.

 

Thanks again for reporting back. I'll let you know if I agree when I get back, although that is still almost 6 months away.

[msiowa]

I have been on Regent and was recently on Xpedition. There is no comparison between the 2 experiences but I did not expect there to be. Regent is a quite luxurious (the staterooms are to die for!) cruising experience; Xpedition is, in my opinion, NOT a cruising experience. It is an adventure experience on which you live on a ship. I think it's more comparable to an African safari than to your typical cruise.

 

In terms of the ship, food, etc. it's not even comparable to the Celebrity cruising experience. Again, I didn't expect it to be.

 

I was quite impressed with the quality of food in light of the fact everything must be supplied locally. That really limits what they can do. I was also impressed by housekeeping - they cleaned our room 4 times a day! That was even better than Regent with a butler!! The rooms are "cozy" - we were on Deck 4 - not the larger rooms on Deck 5 - but very adequate and comfortable. Our fridge was stocked with water every day (maybe even more than once a day - it seemed to be always full.) Laundry was often returned the same day with no extra charge. (Bring fewer clothes and have them laundered!!)

 

There isn't a gym - no room. But on our mid-May cruise, people were using the treadmill, etc. (I saw them as I lounged in my chair!!)

 

Service in the dining room could be better. That was probably my biggest beef. But in the greater scheme of things, it was fine.

 

I went for the adventure - to see the animals, to experience a place like no other. And I got more than I had hoped for.

 

If you go thinking this is a vacation cruise like you have experienced on Regent, you'll be disappointed. But if you go for the adventure, you'll have the time of your life.

[CLOU]

As indicated in my earlier posts, I am not going on this cruise for Regent luxury, but for the destination. I was just curious to what degree I had to adjust my expectations regarding the ship, so that I am fully prepared and can enjoy what I expect to be a fantastic trip.

[Quinte]

But if you go for the adventure, you'll have the time of your life.

 

I couldn't agree more! It is a very comfortable adventure at that. With respect to the food, I found them very accommodating. I was feeling a little under the weather one evening and just wanted something simple to eat. They served a nice light pasta with tomato basil sauce the night before and I asked if I could have that again. The waiter went away to check and was gone a while - I didn't think it was good news. The next we saw him, he had our meals and I had exactly what I wanted.