My New Favorite Cruise Ship

I submitted this review to the Review section of Cruise Critic several days ago. I'm not sure why it takes so long for reviews to be published, but I thought I would "jump start" it here.

When Regent announced the launching of a new ship several years ago, like most Regent cruisers, my wife and I were very excited, and had cruises booked on it for September of 2016 and March 2017. Life intervened, and we had to cancel both of these cruises. So when we were finally able to book another cruise on it, we were chomping at the bit to experience it, wondering whether our high expectations would be met. Clearly from the title of this review, they were... although with a bit of an asterisk.

The ship- Regent hypes this ship as "World's Most Luxurious Ship". As I have not been on every cruise ship int he world, I cannot validate this statement, but if there is a more beautiful ship at sea, I would love to see it. The ship is, in a word, breathtakingly beautiful. OK, 2 words. But I cannot say enough about how impressive this ship is. Prior to this voyage, I thought the most elegant ships I have sailed on were Oceana's Riviera/ Marina, but I think the Explorer has them beat. From the stunning atrium, to each and every restaurant, lounge,theater..even the men's rooms were beautiful. (And I assume the same for the ladies' room, although I have no first hand knowledge of such and will take DW's word for it. ) The hallways of stateroom decks have lovely black and white photographs. The ship is a pleasure to walk around on.

Cuisine- I have long been a fan of Regent cuisine, but I am now an even bigger fan. Every cruise line's main dining rooms offer "always available"items, usually steak, chicken, salmon, and perhaps a vegetarian dish. , The main dining room on Regent,, Compass Rose, now offers as always available:

Meats: Black AngusNew York Strip, Black Angus Rib Eye. Black Angus Filet Mignon, New Zealand LambChops, Veal Medallions, Half Roast Chicken, Pork Chops

Fish: Jumbo Shrimp,Maine Lobster Tail(!!) , King Sea Scallops, Norwegian Salmon, Whole DoverSole(!!), Branzino.

With a cornucopia of sauces and sides to mix and match with them.

AND with a whole array of appetizers, soups, salads, such as crab salad, Norwegian gravilax,escargot....well, you get the idea.

So in the unlikely event that there is nothing on the daily menu that sounds tempting, you can order something wonderful from the always available menu. For me, this is a game changer. No more checking the daily menu and having to try for a specialty restaurant reservation if there is nothing to your liking. The only problem- major difficult decisions need to be made every single night! Life is tough.

Speaking of specialty restaurants, the Explorer has 4 ofthem, and IMHO, all are superb.

Entertainment- Several years ago, Regent changed the company that managed the entertainment talent and production shows, and I must say that for us it is a change for the better. The talent of the singers and dancers has always been wonderful, but the production shows are at a new level. They are inventive, and creative,not typical cruise ship fare. And the LED backdrops and lighting in the Constellation Theater adds greatly to the enjoyment of the show. The only downside- it seems to me that the sightlines of the theater do not seem to be quite as good as I remember them being on the other Regent ships, but we never had any problem getting good seats, provided that we got there at least 10 minutes ahead.

There is nice entertainment in the lounges, the Regent Signature Orchestra for ballroom, a pianist, Deborah, who has a lovely voice,and our very favorite Regent talent, Boogie and Kasia, who played 2 or 3 sets every night in the Explorer lounge. Their later set provides great fast dancing music, and the delightful Kasia gets down on the dance floor and really gets the crowd dancing.

Internet- The ship had the -least horrible -internet experience I have had on a cruise ship to date. I guess that's as good as one can expect at sea. Sure, it was still painfully slow, but the agony was far less than I have experienced in the past. Service much better in public areas than in my state room, where it was truly agonizing. Log in and out was a breeze, and my wife and I were both able to be on at the same time.

Gym- best I have ever seen on a ship. When I first walked in, I did not see any treadmills in this rather large gym, only to find outt hat there was another room, separated by a hallway. Plenty of cardio machines, and strength-resistant machines.

And now for the asterisk- Sadly, I think that the service has slipped a tad sincemy last Regent cruise. Not the stateroomattendants, nor the restaurant wait staff, they were still top notch. But in the lounges and pool deck, Ifrequently had a hard time getting service. I do not think that this is the fault of the staff- the crew is as hardworking, friendly and accommodating as ever. I think the problem is in numbers- it seemed as if there was just lessstaff. I have no data to support this,it is just an impression. However, thiswas in no way shape or form anywhere near enough of a problem to put a damperon this wonderful cruise experience.

One final word- these reviews are obviously very subjective matters, everyone's opinions are different and equally valid. But I always make it a point to ask people that I meet on board how they are enjoying their cruise, and for what it's worth, I did not get one response that was not ENTHUSIASTICALLY positive.

The only grumbling I heard all cruise long was about chairhogs. So what else is new?

Some additional thoughts:

1) Photos do not do it justice. Every spot on this ship is visually spectacular.

2) We had a superior suite, which is the closest size equivalent of the deluxe verandas on the other ships. The shape of the suite is very different,being more square while those on the other ships are more of an oblong shape. Even though this suite is larger i n square footage, somehow my wife and I felt somewhat cramped, having to slide past each other frequently. I do not remember this being the case in the veranda suites in the Voyager or Navigator. I am wondering if this is our imagination, or if others have found this to be the case.

3) In the past, we would always plan to be in the Compass Rose on the second and the next-to-last nights, rather than the specialty restaurants because that is when they are most likely to offer lobster. With the new Compass Rose menu, this is no longer necessary. My wife and I had the lobster several times,often in combination with something else, and found it to be consistently tender and delicious, better than the lobster that we have had in Prime 7. This new "always available" menu is like nothing I have ever seen at sea, I wonder if any other cruise line features anything like it.

4) We never had any wait for a table for 2 at Compass Rose, arriving around 7:30 or so, and it seemed that there were plenty of availability all evening. The service there was perfect for us, we like to dine leisurely, but don't want to be kept starving either. About 90 minutes is just about right for us,and it was consistently so. But those who prefer a quicker pace may be disappointed, or perhaps inform the wait staff when arriving.

5) Hooray for the "cage" for smokers on the pooldeck! No problem being annoyed by smoke anywhere on the ship. I do not recall the other ships having that, but it is possible that my memory is suspect

.

6) I was actually a fan of the Jean Ann Ryan singers and dancers, and was concerned that the NCL productions would change Regent's entertainment shows to resemble typical mass market cruise production shows. I needn't have worried. If anything, the shows were even more imaginative and innovative. And the LED video screen at the back of the stage, the lighting, etc, made the shows even more enjoyable.

7) Because of illness, I have not had a chance to cruise on Regent since mid 2015. My wife and I both agree that food quality and choices, and the entertainment have taken a step up. Sadly, service seems to have taken a step backward. I have no complaints about the crew members,they are working as hard as they can, with a smile and clear intent to please. But it seems to us that there is just less staff in the lounges and on the pool deck. For example, in past cruises, there would always be some bar staff that would get to know our names, and what our favorite drinks are; this did not happen. While that has been a nice touch, frankly I can do without it. What is a larger problem is having to wait and try to flag down a server. This was especially noticeable on the pooldeck. The truth is, if I have to get off my lazy *ss occasionally to get our drinks, that is not the end of the world,and will in no way dampen our eagerly looking forward to our next Regent cruise, but we hope that the situation will change for the better going forward.

8) Kasia and Boogie are an absolute joy, and Regent is fortunate to have had them performing on their ships for as long as they have. Hopefully, they will continue for a long time to come.

9) Can't wait for the Splendor!

Bob

Thanks boblerm for an excellent & well balanced Explorer review. Especially enjoyed your cuisine and entertainment sections.

What a great report, thanks for taking the time. We cruised on the Regent for the first time end of last year (we had a 5 year wait do to an illness, but all is good now) and love the line. We're back on in April and can't wait. Rick

Agree with Wes, excellent info on the Exployer. Wife and I will join her in Monte Carlo on the 12th April, have made a mental note of all of your suggestions. Can’t wait to see her for the 1st time and will be interesting to compare her to the Oceania Riviera which we are on doing a Trans Atlantic from Miam/Barcelona on Mar 28th. Well written boblerm

Really enjoyed the detailed review of what is our newest favorite ship as well. As I sit on the Voyager in the computer room (definitely better than on Explorer), we think about great Explorer is and how much we miss it (maybe not the computer room but definitely the ship).

Thank you for taking the time to post your review!

I have been sailing on the Explorer since March 11th and will head home once we get to Barcrlona. I totally agree with your description. Great review. Can't wait for the Splendor.

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Thanks boblerm for an excellent & well balanced Explorer review. Especially enjoyed your cuisine and entertainment sections.

Thanks, Wes. Do you know whether I am correct in my understanding that the changes in the CR menu and the technical enhancements of the theater (video screens, lighting, sound) are fleet-wide?

Very well written review.

Thank you for taking the time to write and share this.

Keith

What a great report, thanks for taking the time. We cruised on the Regent for the first time end of last year (we had a 5 year wait do to an illness, but all is good now) and love the line. We're back on in April and can't wait. Rick

Rick, it's so nice to hear that you are over your travails and are able to travel again. From my own perspective, after a prolonged period of being unable to travel, once I was able to do so again made the sweet experience of cruising even sweeter. I savored every moment of this cruise, and had to often stop and ponder how lucky I was to be there. Lucky to be anywhere actually, but especially lucky to be on a Regent ship!:D

Agree with Wes, excellent info on the Exployer. Wife and I will join her in Monte Carlo on the 12th April, have made a mental note of all of your suggestions. Can’t wait to see her for the 1st time and will be interesting to compare her to the Oceania Riviera which we are on doing a Trans Atlantic from Miam/Barcelona on Mar 28th. Well written boblerm

The Riviera is a gorgeous ship, the only one that I have been on (along with the O Marina) that rivals the Explorer in beauty. Will be interested to hear how you think they compare.

Really enjoyed the detailed review of what is our newest favorite ship as well. As I sit on the Voyager in the computer room (definitely better than on Explorer), we think about great Explorer is and how much we miss it (maybe not the computer room but definitely the ship).

 

Thank you for taking the time to post your review!

Just out of curiosity, how is the computer room better on the Voyager- is it just more machines, or are there some other enhancements? I didn't spend any significant time in the computer room, in the old days, it was definitely a problem as so many people were vying for spots, now since so many use their own devices, it doesn't seem to be an issue.

Very well written review.

 

Thank you for taking the time to write and share this.

 

Keith

Thank you, Keith!

I have been sailing on the Explorer since March 11th and will head home once we get to Barcrlona. I totally agree with your description. Great review. Can't wait for the Splendor.

 

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We were with you on the first leg, and envy you being able to stay on for the transatlantic. Enjoy!

Just out of curiosity, how is the computer room better on the Voyager- is it just more machines, or are there some other enhancements? I didn't spend any significant time in the computer room, in the old days, it was definitely a problem as so many people were vying for spots, now since so many use their own devices, it doesn't seem to be an issue.

It is just the number of machines. Now that we have been onboard a day and a half, I see that the wi-fi in the computer room is worse than in our suite. While I do prefer having a desktop computer with a proper keyboard and having the ability to print, speed is more important so I am currently typing on my laptop in the suite. On the way back from dinner, I passed the computer room and all 15 stations were available.

The issues that all of the ships seem to be having is too many people on at the same time. Seven Seas Society members with enough nights can up to 4 log-ons per person (hope that I quoted that right). So the problem becomes that there can be more people on wi-fi than we have on the ship.

boblerm: Thanks for posting and glad you so enjoyed your time on Explorer. You didn't mention anything about the absence of a forward outside viewing area. Simply because we've much used and enjoyed that space on a number of Regent cruises, not having that pleasure would seem like a pretty big drawback. You didn't miss it at all?

Thank you for the great review! We are booked on the Explorer for December. We also love the Marina (same as Riviera) on Oceania and look forward to comparing it.

boblerm: Thanks for posting and glad you so enjoyed your time on Explorer. You didn't mention anything about the absence of a forward outside viewing area. Simply because we've much used and enjoyed that space on a number of Regent cruises, not having that pleasure would seem like a pretty big drawback. You didn't miss it at all?

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Thanks for your reply, boblerm. I enjoy viewing from the lanai as well (especially the convenience of it), but there are many, many times when "the whole picture" is much superior.

Poss, after speaking with Frank Del Rio last early last year (he called me after we returned home from the Voyager Grand Voyage) on which ship was doing Norway in 2017/2018; he exuberantly told me the Explorer. We were disappointed and then booked Silversea (July 2017) for our Norwegian Fjords cruise--one of the best cruises we have been fortunate/blessed to experience.

In our opinion, we would never, ever take a cruise ship without a top open deck (like the Mariner last month for the Chilean Fjords) and Silversea's Silver Wind for Norway in July 2017. The top decks outside on both Regent and Silversea were jam packed with cruisers wishing to get a glimpse of these gorgeous views from an open deck vs an enclosed space like the observation lounge on the Explorer..

Have no interest in booking the Explorer or the Splendor for visually stunning iteneraries. On the other hand, a crossing would be just fine for either of these viewing compromised Regent ships.

I find this issue to be interesting. For years I've read that people like aft suites because of the views. I understand how much better the viewing is from the aft part of the ship since we have booked too many forward suites with unusable balconies.

For us, Explorer has spoiled us for Regent's other ships (which is not necessarily a good thing). Explorer's F1, F2 and Concierge Level suites are 1000% nicer than on other ships and have at least twice the storage space. The extra dining venue also makes a big difference.

So, as I sit here here on the Voyager (used to be our favorite ship) we are still thinking of Explorer and how we might change our last booked Voyager cruise to one on Explorer.

We are hoping that everyone will book Splendor when she is launched so that there will be more room on Explorer:halo:

In our opinion, we would never, ever take a cruise ship without a top open deck (like the Mariner last month for the Chilean Fjords) and Silversea's Silver Wind for Norway in July 2017. The top decks outside on both Regent and Silversea were jam packed with cruisers wishing to get a glimpse of these gorgeous views from an open deck vs an enclosed space like the observation lounge on the Explorer..

 

Have no interest in booking the Explorer or the Splendor for visually stunning iteneraries. On the other hand, a crossing would be just fine for either of these viewing compromised Regent ships.

Wes, I certainly see your point. On our cruise on Explorer in the Caribbean, I guess I didn't miss the top open deck as there weren't any "can't miss" vistas. For a typical sailaway, we find the observation lounge to be just fine, although photography is severely compromised.

Too bad, I thought that I had found the "perfect" ship. I guess I will have to keep looking. Life is tough.

I would now have to really think twice about booking the Explorer or Splendor for cruise with gorgeous scenery, then again, this ship is so wonderful in every other way......

I find this issue to be interesting. For years I've read that people like aft suites because of the views. I understand how much better the viewing is from the aft part of the ship since we have booked too many forward suites with unusable balconies.

 

For us, Explorer has spoiled us for Regent's other ships (which is not necessarily a good thing). Explorer's F1, F2 and Concierge Level suites are 1000% nicer than on other ships and have at least twice the storage space. The extra dining venue also makes a big difference.

 

So, as I sit here here on the Voyager (used to be our favorite ship) we are still thinking of Explorer and how we might change our last booked Voyager cruise to one on Explorer.

 

We are hoping that everyone will book Splendor when she is launched so that there will be more room on Explorer:halo:

I have a similar feeling! We had a magnificent cruise last November on the refurbished Voyager followed by a nice cruise on the Explorer to a "so-so" itinerary of Western Caribbean. Yet, I've been thinking of switching one of our reservations to the Explorer. There is a draw of the ship for us to the Explorer. We stayed in E609 three times and loved light lunches in P7 and Chartreuse.

Curious to hear more about your Voyager experience Travelcat 2.....perhaps should be on another thread.

Curious to hear more about your Voyager experience Travelcat 2.....perhaps should be on another thread.

Hi - I'm not posting a lot but when I do it is on the other thread. There have been so many posts from the Voyager and Mariner later that I decided to focus on excursions. The problem at the moment is that I was under the weather for our first excursion (described on the other thread) - today and tomorrow are sea days and, due tide issues, we won't get to the next port until 2:00 p.m. Our excursion was cancelled.

If there is anything you want to know or pictures that you would like me to take, just let me know!:D