witt's end

Hi all,

I am typing from my phone because we have not purchased wifi and will be pleased to expand on my experiences as the cruise continues.

The ship itself is lovely and comparable to other lines we have sailed.

It is in the area of customer service that is disappointing. Yesterday I was in the buffet restaurant for lunch for 20 minutes and no one passed by to see if I wanted water or something from the bar.

Last night at dinner our table of 8 watched in amazement as we sat with every wine glass empty. The table beside us requested the bottle be left on their table.

The waiters use iPads to take the orders. I'm sure it reduces errors but it significantly decreases their level of interaction with us. No eye contact, brief responses, just order takers.

Though not a foodie, I have been very pleased with every meal.

I'm sorry that my initial post was so vague and I will answer questions along the way.

We have a sea day today and a substitute stop at Ile's de la Madeleine tomorrow. The reduced speed required to protect the Right Whale meant that we couldn't reach Charlottetown. Perhaps we will spot whales today.

We are gold level Regent cruisers who are part of a group on Silver Seas. As proud Canadians, we are thrilled to share our east coast. However, we are underwhelmed by our experience so far in SS.

We had our B2B turn around in Istanbul several years ago. It was seamless and the best part was that we were allowed to stay off the shop longer that day and were exempt from the Muster Drill.

We have been watching the weather but it never occurred to us to watch the river level. At least we can pack for the weather!

We are on Viking Amsterdam to Basel next week and are prepared for cooler temperatures and showers.

I appreciate all of the information about castles and the river experience that I have found here. Thank you!

The infinity pool is only about 5' deep when in port. They lower it about a foot when at sail.

The main pool has a large ankle deep area before the stairs to a gradually sloping depth. I am 5'9 and I think I could comfortably stand everywhere.

The forest fire they were fighting is almost in your first photo. There were three bombers putting on quite a show as they dodged boat traffic and filled their holds and headed off into the mountain. We watched them for hours and only one had to abort their run due to oblivious boaters.

We are in the fire industry so this was great entertainment!

 

You can change out the pillows and the pillow top mattress can be removed to make the bed firmer (and obviously lower).

Everything is new - great sheets and duvet.

The infinity pool is available to all.

It has limited loungers though.

It can be accessed outside on deck 5 without going through the spa.

Since it is connected to the spa, no alcohol is served there.

The Compass Rose is spectacular!

The openness is enhanced by the placement of the workstations along the entrance wall. It makes it quieter while eating, less congested and expansive.

There are also half wall partitions that enhance privacy in some of the window areas.

I particularly love the reflection on the cutlery from the huge blue ceiling art in the center.

This dining room is something special!

It did take a while to break the habit of walking through the restaurant to access the aft elevator and stairwell though. Early in the cruise the aft stairs down to deck 4 were blocked to prevent us from hitting a dead end.

I have only witnessed the sinks being used once - by me. There is also another one on the outdoor deck.

I used it because my hands got messy during a meal, not for sanitation upon entry. My original destination was the ladies room but noticed the sink just before leaving the restaurant.

They are not positioned in a way that would make their use intuitive, as the hand sanitizers were. In fact, my first thought was that they were crew stations, especially the one on the stern.

The only hand sanitizing station I have noticed is at security when leaving/returning to the ship.

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Mudhem, You will no doubt be thrilled with your Concierge suite. We are enjoying the deep balcony and can move the lounger to any position we want.

We are traveling with friends in the next cabin and the balcony connection is open at the railing section. We have over 6' of depth that is still private and have the convenience of visiting if we want. Add that the Mr. Rumours 'likes'!

Our day in Malta is coming to an end. It is like no place that I have ever visited. I particularly enjoyed wandering ancient nooks and crannies with long lane ways of shallow stairs. The people are gracious and welcoming. I will see if any of my photos are cc worthy.

Sea day tomorrow. I will seek out Explorer logo merchandise.

This is the first Regent ship that has good coffee (to my taste).

In the past, I have avoided the sub par morning coffee in La Veranda and used the coffee connection. No need for that on the Explorer.

The Cafe has a machine that will make espresso, cappuccino, etc. To make an Americano, one needs to add hot water to espresso. It makes a good cup of coffee.

Our traveling companions have commented that the coffee in Compass Rose is not as hot as they would like.

Our suite has an illy machine that I might use this morning.

A small one was delivered to our concierge suite yesterday.

I am happy to see my luggage! I hope others have success too.

As I sit on our very large balcony watching Monte Carlo harbour bustle, all I can say is WOW!!

This ship is absolutely amazing! The spa is over the top with the addition of climate experiences - cold room and experiential showers, relaxation room, plus sauna and steam. The infinity pool has a very small area around it and it is very unique.

We are in Concierge D. The walk-in closet is large and there is more storage than the two of us need. The bathroom (again, lots of storage) has 2 sinks, a tub and shower plus What look like nice Regent toiletries. The foot of the bed is towards the sliding doors and additional window. That orientation is different than other suites.

Again, WOW!

We have just been called to muster so more later.

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Mr. Rumor,

If you are up, have a look out your balcony to see her arrive.

I have a photo like the one you posted last night with her in it.

Yippee!

i just discovered an advantage to 9 hours of jet lag... I was up to watch her arrive this morning.

The next step is to figure out how to add photos here.

Katie & Big John/witt's end;

 

Ida and I wish y'all Fair Winds and Followings Seas on your Explorer voyage. Look forward to reading (along w/Mr. Rumor (Rich & Ginny), xrvlcruiser/Peggy, Petlover/Marice and Tom and Anchorbuoy) your impressions of the Explorer. Katie, seems like yesterday we were on the Voyager (Dubai to Athens).

Thanks Wes and Ida,

I'll let you know if I think the gym is up to your standards!

We arrived this afternoon but my luggage is on a journey of its own! Hopefully, it will find me soon!

Thank you so much for you generosity Jackie. You diligently researched and answered all of our curious questions.

I look forward to paying that back as we board on Wednesday.

Enjoy you last days, then you can rest!

Sitting in the Maple Leaf Lounge at YVR having a pinch me moment!

After a year and a half, we are finally on our way!,

I will be happy to post as well.

We fly tomorrow!!

Hi Jackie,

I am really enjoying reading about the Explorer through your eyes. We board her on Wednesday and are very excited to be on the Maiden Voyage!

Your comments about the layout of the ship and the staterooms help me to picture what we have in store.

If you get a moment, can you take a photo of the infinity pool please? Is it available to anyone or only those who have spa appointments that day?

Thanks for fueling our excitement while you enjoy!

Our docs haven't found us here in Canada yet but we look forward to it.

I will be taking something snazzy regardless of the official attire posted.