Robroy

Thanks for another interesting tip. You're right - you can't expect the same experience on a small ship compared with something the size of the Explorer. Another thing to check out! Thanks, Rob

Seward for a couple of nights might be an option. We will definately need an overnight in Anchorage to be able to catch the train down to Seward and had thought of at least one night in Seward as it looks like a really nice town with lots to do and friendly people. Still investigating at this point - thanks for the tip! Cheers, Rob

Great idea! Hadn't thought of staying in Anchorage and then in Seward. Will check it out - thanks! Cheers, Rob

Appreciate the replies. With air travel the way it's been lately, I'm inclined to fly into Anchorage perhaps two days early and take the train into Seward the day we sail. Hadn't thought about taking Regent air one way - will perhaps look into that and deviate so we can get there early. Then again, you're at the mercy of whatever flights they come up with although Air Canada YYZ-YVR makes the most sense. Thanks! Rob

Thanks very much MJ! I think the usual day before makes a lot of sense and it would be nice to have even a short look at Anchorage. The train ride supposedly is a lovely tour on it's own. Thanks for your suggestion! Cheers, Rob

My wife and I are looking at the Explorer from Seward to Vancouver next May and want to take advantage of the current sale ending June 30th. We normally make our own air arrangements and are flying from Toronto which means a plane change in Vancouver and on to Anchorage. This would be a long day but we would also plan to arrive in Anchorage a day earlier and perhaps take the train to Seward the day we sail. Factoring in the air allowance, the airfare cost would just about be a wash. We plan to book an F2 cabin so no concierge with a pre-cruise overnight included. I'm wondering if we took Regent Air would it be even possible to make the Vancouver connection and then two hour transfer from Anchorage to Seward? Leaning heavily toward just doing our own air but would be interested in anyone's experience flying in from the East Coast in particular. Thanks! Rob

Our last trip on the Explorer carryon luggage was stored in the casino and we picked it up after lunch. Much easier than lugging it around. Cheers, Rob

Agree with Amhuntferry - we were on the May 11th run and there was some noticable movement on the way up to San Francisco from Ensenada but it wasn't severe. The ship is in very good condition - our first Oceania trip - food was very good - service excellent. We embarked in San Pedro but chose to stay at the Residence Inn Marriott Downtown in Long Beach as thought it might be quieter than either the Crowne Plaza or Doubletree. Staff was excellent as was the room and facility - free breakfast - close to the Queen Mary which we visited the day before sailing. About a ten dollar Uber to the ship. Have a great cruise! Cheers, Rob

We returned recently from a Pacific Coastal trip on Regatta in a Vista Suite. We received everything you noted with the exception of the visor and cinnamon ball candies. However, we received a lovely box of Bulgari soaps/toiletries/shampoos etc. Cheers, Rob

Just returned from a trip on the O Regatta Pacific Coastal cruise in a Vista suite. Last Regent was January 2020 just prior to Covid on Explorer in an F2. Suite on Regatta was lovely but our loyalty still is with Regent in terms of service, food and overall experience. I realize that we're looking at Pre-covid versus now but the Regent touch was just that much better. Regatta compares in size to the Navigator directly and still Regent for our money would be the winner. Obviously first-world problems as O was very nice - just not Regent! Cheers, Rob

We were also on the May 11th Pacific Coastal as our first O voyage and overall we had a very nice time. A previous poster had described O as "Regent Lite" which was one of the reasons we wanted to try this line as we have loved Regent in the past but have found their pricing has increased too much in the past year. As we aren't big drinkers and like to explore on our own, this seemed like a good fit. We both love food and recognize that this is a very subjective issue - suffice to say that all venues we tried were very good. Food was hot with one exception (last night in GDR Beef Wellington was lukewarm) but service was uniformly excellent. Desserts are normally my wife's favourite but she felt they were just average. Like the OP, I loved the daily souffles though and always found something to enjoy. We did find the menu in the GDR did favour seafood lovers (me!) over people who didn't care for seafood (my wife) but she did always find something. Food in the Terrace Cafe was good IMHO - variety and quality excellent but you really need to go off-peak as the traffic chaos is crazy at times with a version of human bumper cars going on. I overheard several people saying they had enough and left the buffet - easy solution though to come at a less busy time. One thing I definately wanted to mention is we found the entertainment to be first-rate. The singers and dancers were a very talented group of young people who gave their all. I've seen in various reviews that entertainment was very weak and catered to only the extremely elderly (we're early 70's) - we thought it was very good. We haven't been on Princess or any mainstream lines since 2006 so thinking back it didn't compare to large production reviews but then again you aren't on a ship with 3000 of your newest friends either. The ship is in beautiful condition and we loved the wood and features that an older ship provides - very similar to the Regent Navigator. In summary, with food as the OP's main issue, I think the advertising about "best food at sea" needs to be taken with a grain of salt - as others have posted. We fortunately enjoyed the service and food enough to consider returning and would encourage others to give it a try and decide for themselves. I appreciate the information on this board which helped us make a well-informed decision to give O a try!

I can’t speak to other sailing experiences or official policy but I can say that definitely the T-pool area has been open to all on this trip and it hasn’t been a case of the door being left open or propped open. I don’t profess to be an O expert but I am well aware of what I have seen this week.

We’re on Regatta now and the T-therapy pool is indeed outdoors in front of the gym. Seems to be open to anyone according to a lady in the spa - not just concierge and above. I tried it a couple of days ago and although it was really chilly out with a strong wind, the pool itself is quite hot and the jets are really strong. Great for a sore back or hip! Cruise has been very good so far - we are first-timers and will post a review once we get home. Internet has been quite good the entire trip thus far - staff and service excellent! Coffee however is terrible in all dinkmg venues however as has been the case with all lines we have tried - even Regent/Silversea and Crystal. There’s always Barrista’s though!

Thank you both for the excellent advice! I'd forgotten about Whatsapp - which seems to be the logical choice to keep in touch. Appreciate the assistance - as usual this forum is a wealth of information from helpful people! Cheers, Rob

We're on an upcoming Pacific Coastal cruise next week and I'm wondering how far off the coast we will normally be? Reason for the question is whether we will be close enough to shore to use U.S.A. cell towers (with the exception of the Ensenada port) or if this will involve the normally expensive ship-to-shore service. I'm not a techie as you can no doubt tell. Appreciate any insights! Thanks, Rob

Thanks to all - will look at other options. Cheers, Rob

Thanks for the replies. I gapped on this and then hoped that there would be a florist as we've seen on other lines. Mea culpa.......will have to think of something else! Cheers, Rob

Quick question - my wife and I are on an upcoming Regatta trip and she will celebrate a birthday while onboard. Wondering if there is a florist onboard I can order a special arrangement for her? Thanks, Rob

Should have mentioned going from PH to Vista - will check with porters at the dock just to be sure. Thanks! By the way - what happened to summer up here???? LOL! Cheers, Rob

We're going from deck 8 to deck 6. Original ones are gold in colour. Cheers, Rob

Thanks - will do. Cheers, Rob

We received luggage tags for our upcoming Regatta cruise in three weeks and have since done a paid upgrade. Wondering if the tags are colour-coded to a specific deck? If not, could we simply delete the current cabin number and enter the new one or are we better advised to get new ones from the porters at the dock? We embark in San Pedro. Thanks, Rob

Good grief! We're on the same sailing and I don't understand why the arrival would change to 11:00am - particularly since with the cancellation of Monterey we have a full sea-day leaving San Francisco at 11:00pm on Monday night and not arriving in Santa Barbara until Wednesday morning. We don't have any specific plans at Santa Barbara but I feel badly for people who have tours planned or were looking forward to a full day experience. Will be interesting to see what happens.... Cheers, Rob

My wife and I are looking forward to our first cruise with O but have been cruising other lines for years. I'd encourage you to spend a couple of hours going through the various Oceania threads and know you'll find some excellent recommendations and answers to most of your questions. Then you'll be able to make informed decisions and ask pertinent specific questions with a solid knowledge base on the product. I've always found this to be an enjoyable aspect of the cruise planning process and hope you will enjoy it as well. We found enough excellent information to book our first O cruise this May. Good luck and hope you have a great trip! Cheers, Rob

Gary: Congratulations on an amazing spreadsheet! I've never created anything like this before and have tried to keep everything on a notepad simply with highlights but this takes things to a whole new level! What some people fail to realize as you rightly point out is that a major part of the enjoyment of a cruise is the advance planning - trying to make sure all the bases are covered so you have maximum enjoyment. This is a terrific way to ensure this happens - again, cognizant of the fact that Mr. Murphy is lurking in the shadows and will no doubt make his presence known at some point. We're taking our first O trip in May on a Pacific Coastal just as a quick getaway but have done the Med on Silversea before and absolutely loved Italy and the Amalfi coast. I'm quite jealous of the fabulous food that awaits you and your group. Thanks for sharing your spreadsheet and I admire your whole approach to cruising. There are no bad cruise vacations - just some are better than others! Cheers, Rob