Explorer's Inaugural Atlantic Crossing: A Joint Live Blog

[Mr Rumor]

Crepe du jour at La Creperie Bretonne in Saint-Tropez today: Bacon, Goat Cheese and Salade (mostly incognito inside the folds), for 18 Euros. Rumor Rating: triple yum!

 

 

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[Mr Rumor]

Tux sightings at the Captain's Reception tonight were about as rare as a sighting of the Regent message board stalwart in the orthopedic boot. But minutes before the start of the the Irish sister violinist duo Sephira's performance in the Constellation Theater I scanned the crowd and suddenly noticed The Boot, with Zqueeze1 attached to it! It was great to finally meet Roberto, whose delightful posts I've been enjoying and chuckling over for the last several years. It was also a pleasure to meet The Boss, Pamela, who is happily on the mend.

 

Have an even longer tour tomorrow than we had today, the 8.5-hour Montserrat and Barcelona excursion with the premium ($159) price tag. I'm hoping we'll be back in time to catch all, or at least a portion of, a local folkloric show in the theater at 5:30. Then it's dinner with friends. Don't think we'll have any gas left in the tank for the song and dance troupe's "Paradis" after that, but we'll see. For an Atlantic crossing cruise, we're off to one slam bang of a start!

 

Rich

 

P.S. Jackie and Dennis, I expect to walk us to walk into each other any time now--it's the Regent law of averages!

[RachelG]

Rich, that crepe looks yum--includes all of my favorite things.

[Caroldoll]

I know you are all on the ship now. Is there a convenient place for a small meet and greet after muster?

[flossie009]

Yes - we will be in a Seven Seas Suite (in 2018 - we changed the cruise date). We are currently in a Grand Suite (1200) which is beautiful but we would probably not choose this particular suite again (noise from Observation Lounge below). I understand that a few suites will receive additional sound-proofing in the near future.

 

Sorry to hear about the noise transmission in the Grand Suites. However, I presume you do not get much noise from the Observation Lounge early in the morning or late at night

 

 

 

For those of you new to the Explorer, you cannot get to deck 12 or deck 14 from the forward elevator and you cannot get to deck 4 from the aft elevator. Once you get used to it, it isn't a big deal.

 

If the elevators do not go up to decks 12 or 14, how do guests access the suites on those floors? Stairs only?

[JPR]

Reread what she wrote. You can use the aft elevators....

[xrvlcruiser]

On the Explorer, the forward elevators go to deck 12 and 14 - check the deck plan.

 

Peggy

[Travelcat2]

Thanks for explaining that Peggy - I think that I stated it incorrectly in a previous post.

 

In terms of noise from the Observation Lounge, we hear it until almost midnight. This is fine for our late nights but some nights we want to get to sleep earlier. Also, as I don't think I have mentioned, the door to the laundry room slams during the day (interestingly, on Oceania's Riviera, the laundry doors are silent).

 

We went on a culinary excursion today to a 2 Michelin Star restaurant. I wish that they had given us a sample menu in advance as most of the food was not to our taste (lots of foam, weird tastes, etc. -- may post the menu tomorrow when I'm not so tired) The cost of this excursion was $299/person. Noelle, the Chef of the Culinary Center did an amazing job. We really enjoyed our visit to Boqueria Market as well as another market and the olive oil tasting. The lovely owner of the olive oil market was kind enough to give each of us a bottle of their Extra Virgin Olive Oil that was pressed this month. What irritated us about this excursion is that a person from Destination Services attended. IMO, this was not necessary as there were only 16 passengers accompanied by Noelle and a wonderful tour guide. It is interesting that we do not see Destination Services on regular excursions - just this expensive one! I should remind readers that I am not a fan of Destination Services and especially not the person who accompanied us (who, according to my DH, really dug into the food - especially picking out multiple pieces of candy/dessert.) Not sure why Regent needs to pay for a person from Destination Service for this since Noelle was taking pictures of the entire event and she and the Tour Guide had everything under control.

 

Okay - enough complaining. Tomorrow is Cartagena, Spain. We are making it a sea day as my DH is recovering from a cold that he caught onboard on the last segment. Tomorrow is also John Barron's show that I can't miss. Will definitely be in the front row!

 

Met more CC'ers tonight. Zqueeze1 has a knack for arranging get togethers (he and his wife are absolutely lovely). While I know that Mr. Rumor is onboard, we have yet to see him. The day after tomorrow will be our Meet and Greet and, according to the F&B Director, Daniela, it will be very special. Really looking forward to it.

[JPR]

Yes, weird food is still all the rage, since the three Michelin Stars awarded to the now-closed El Bulli in Spain and Noma in Copenhagen, as well as Alinea in Chicago, the Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa Valley, and Eleven Madison Park in NY.

 

It can be good but too often is just strange for the sake of being different. Like extremely expensive foraging. If he were alive, Euell Gibbons might enjoy it...

Edited November 18, 2016 by JPR

[Mr Rumor]

Today in Montserrat (that's Ginny in the foreground). We were delighted to have the opportunity to hear the Benedictine abbey's boys' choir--one of Europe's oldest--perform.

 

 

 

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[Mr Rumor]

What a nice surprise to return from our all-day excursion to my first Regent-generated Cruise Critic Meet and Greet invite. Regent has provided wonderful support for our upcoming M and G.

 

 

 

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[CruisetheCs]

 

The computer situation on this leg of the cruise is different than the last segment. More people staying online longer (working from the ship I assume) and therefore it becomes more difficult to get a computer. The computer "guru" (great man) said that there are over 400 people online right now. On the Mariner it is almost always under 200. So, the computers are faster but there are too many people on them which slows things down considerably.

 

"Connect from the privacy of your suite or from the comfort of your lounge chair on the Pool Deck for as long as you like and visit the sites you frequent the most. We have quadrupled our bandwidth to enhance your browsing experience with high-speed WiFi that is similar to that of your fiber-optic network at home.

With our expanded bandwidth, you can now consume content, post to social media, view videos and photos, and stay in touch with family and friends on your ship’s network just as you would on land." (quoted from Regent web site)

 

I would say that the problem is not "too many people" using the computers, but rather that Regent doesn't buy enough capacity. On my recent Explorer cruise I found that Regent delivers nothing remotely close to this promised "fiber-optic network" speed.

 

Furthermore Regent blocks certain kinds of downloads so, for example, it isn't possible to update apps on an iPhone or download new apps from the App Store, among other limitations--so you can't consume content, view videos, etc., as you would on land.

[sanne]

I spent 20 days in the Med on the Explorer recently, a very port intensive cruise - a port everyday.

 

The internet was woeful at any time I wished to use it including during the day when everyone was off the ship. In fact much worse than any of the past Regent cruises I have done over many years.

 

It was very disappointing after all the 'hype' about how good it was going to be.

 

I used an iPad and a laptop computer. I even went to the computer room to try and book flights several times without success. It was as bad there as in my cabin.

 

Everyone was talking about it. Do hope they fix it as it makes for a lot of irritation for many people.

[Zqueeze1]

Our version of how we met Rich was more like being in an old black and white movie in a foggy scene. Amidst the haze, a shining light lit up this gentleman taking to someone. (Cue in music from Chariots of Fire). He turns, walks up the aisle, and I know it's him as he brightens up and sees The Boot. We have a great conversation and meet again after the show and meet each others' wives.

 

Yesterday started with a two hour coffee and conversation session at the Cafe. Where we met the Second Most Interesting Man in the world: James a character and rogue with many years traveling the world. Our day was spent circling the Sagrada Familia church and walking the streets of Barcelona. As The Boss is regaining her strength, I see that she hasn't lost her appetite so we had some bread and tomato in El Merkat.

 

After returning to the ship and having lunch, I made new friends with Frank and Don from Louisiana who were an absolute delight sharing some wine and swapping lies.

 

We went to see the Rumba Barcelona show at 530pm which I think is one of the best shows I've ever seen at sea. This folkloric and flamenco group was outstanding. They played some high energy music, displayed some beautiful dances, and pleased the crowd with some more familiar tunes from the Gipsy Kings.

 

Yesterday was our first day with a new at sea tradition: meeting at 6pm at the Observation Lounge for a pre dinner drink and socializing. Karen and Kathy have hooked The Boss on their recipe for amaretto sours and TC2 also joined us as well as others from CC.

 

Dinner was excellent as usual:

 

BTW, we continue to have beautiful weather.

 

Tomorrow we get to burn the kitchen down during our Mediterranean food cooking class followed by a tour featuring the highlights of Cartagena.

 

Z and TB

 

 

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Edited November 19, 2016 by Zqueeze1

[Travelcat2]

Thanks for the great photos "Z", "TB" and Mr. Rumor (who found me in the computer room this morning).

 

As posted above, our excursion was unusual. While the menu we had (posted below) changes, depending upon the season, IMO, giving a sample menu would help identify passengers that are "into" this type of food:

 

ABaC Menu (two star Michelin restaurant)

 

Bloody Mary on the Rocks (not typical Bloody Mary but quite good).

 

Fossilised anemone "Pizzeta" with plankton butter and sundried tomatoes.

 

Oysters with white asparagus, rehydrated tiger nuts and sunflower seed breeze.

 

Sweet corn taco and foie gras with mole ice cream (no resemblance to a taco whatsoever - it was covered with flakes of something that were very light and sweet -- the flakes melted in your mouth and were sweet from the corn. Some of us could not identify the foie gras).

 

Our Chinese bread, fried brioche, grilled eel, beech smoke (it is smoked in a smoker that is placed in front of you) and wasabi. It is served like a "slider".

 

Chargrilled and pine-shoot infused suckling smoke lamb and old cheese gnocchis. (The lamb was dried - two very thing pieces that rehydrated when broth was put over them)

 

"Garum" Rice, fermented stock, fatty fishes, cured meats and Mediterranean herbs. (There was a fried sardine bone on top - very fishy dish).

 

Red Mullet, dried tomato emulsion, roasted fish bone jus and kumquat.

 

Boar cheeks in civit gravy with fresh and cooked mustards. (I was actually afraid to taste this but it was my favorite).

 

Fragile crate with chamomile, milk and biscuit roll with a touch of lightly spicy citruses.

 

Hot herbal tea and frozen spiced chocolate, peanut butter cake, cocoa rocks and peels with vanilla condensed milk. (everything in this dish was weird - chocolate was frozen table side in liquid nitrogen). Great presentation - not impressed with the tastes.

 

Fossilized red fruit tart with vanilla butter Chantilly cream, caramel, oranges and roses.

 

There were delicious strawberries candies also display at the end. The presentation of each dish was amazing. Nothing tasted as expected.

 

The rest of the excursion was really fun - just wish that I knew what we were getting ourselves into in terms of food.

 

Speaking of food, dined at Sette Mari last night. I wasn't particularly hungry but what I had was nice. The antipasti bar has become smaller - less items. There was probably too much before so this is just an observation - not a complaint.

 

Tonight is John Barron's show - we'll definitely be front and center for that one!

Edited November 19, 2016 by Travelcat2

[Mr Rumor]

Good morning from Cartagena!

 

 

 

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[Travelcat2]

A few more words about Explorer's internet. I have no difficulty connecting in my suite or in the computer room. I do not expect speeds that are equal to what we have at home. On this ship, how many people are using the internet does matter. While I can still use the system when 400+ people are online, it is considerably faster now (8:20 p.m.)

 

Back to life onboard. Today my DH was under the weather so I went to lunch with my Kindle only to find "Z" and "TB" who would not let me dine alone. Had a nice lunch - checked on my DH and joined them at the Pool Bar where we had a few Mexican Butterfly's. Really a good time (most people were on excursions - the four of us cancelled).

 

Tomorrow we are tentatively doing our "tapas crawl" in Malaga. Weather should be perfect but it does require several of us cancelling our excursions. Hoping that Z will be there as he is our interpreter (amongst other things:D)

 

The following day is our Meet and Greet. We are really looking forward to it. I know that some CC'ers are trying to arrange a M&G through "corporate" in Miami but, IMO, it is best to do it onboard. The F&B Director is our contact - she suggested the right spot, right time and is having sangria made the night before for the event.

 

Food on the Explorer remains excellent. I am wondering if CR will be larger on Explorer II because that is an issue that I believe no one expected. Everyone seems to want to dine in CR - even when offered the specialty restaurants. We like Chartreuse and P7 (still happy to see "P7" on the door of the restaurant) and think that Pacific Rim is okay (still a popular dining venue but not as popular as before) but we still have a preference for CR.

 

For us, this is a very different cruise. Our 18 month Roll Call has been over the top and the people are as great as we thought they would be. There is always someone to chat with and/or dine with. Everyone gets along so well.

 

Interestingly, the CC people on this cruise cannot figure out what some passengers are complaining about. It is a fairly unanimous decision that some people just like to complain and are not happy if they cannot do so. Even the few "quirks" on the ship is not enough to take away the beauty and comfortability of the Explorer!

Edited November 19, 2016 by Travelcat2

[mrlevin]

Jackie, what quirks? Also, first I have heard of any problems with Compass Rose, are you implying that there are waits for tables?

 

Hope you have a wonderful crossing; we are really looking forward to the return trip in March.

 

Marc

 

PS We will have three adults in G2 cabin; we will be able to report on how it works for three. :)

[Travelcat2]

Jackie, what quirks? Also, first I have heard of any problems with Compass Rose, are you implying that there are waits for tables?

 

Hope you have a wonderful crossing; we are really looking forward to the return trip in March.

 

Marc

 

PS We will have three adults in G2 cabin; we will be able to report on how it works for three. :)

 

Marc, the quirks I'm referring to are not in CR. However, on "special nights" (after the Captain's Reception, Seven Seas Society cocktail party, etc.) CR can get overly crowded and people are asked if they would like to dine in a specialty restaurant. This mainly affects people going to dinner after 7:30 p.m.

 

Must say that the "G" category suites are "tight" - even though they are the same size as regular suites on the Mariner. IMO, Explorer 2 should not have the smaller suites (or they should be sold as singles).

 

John Barron performed again tonight to a packed audience and received a well deserved standing ovation. I'm pleased that he will be on the March crossing.

 

Looking forward to the rest of the cruise.

 

P.S. The biggest "quirk" that I refer to is the staircase to nowhere. You'll understand when you are on the ship in March.

Edited November 19, 2016 by Travelcat2

[JPR]

Plus blocked sight lines from several seats in the balcony in the show lounge, infrared sauna that doesn't get hot, apparently disappointing infinity pool...

[Mr Rumor]

It's very late with an early morning wake-up call (Malaga and The Alhambra in a few hours!). But I didn't want to turn off the light before jotting down a few words about the performance tonight:

 

From Sinatra to "Lion King" to Wilson Pickett--CD John Barron sure covers a lot of musical bases in his show, which he spices with just the right amount of silly patter and antics. Additionally--and he didn't need to do this, but I'm glad he did--he took us into his private world with mentions of his wife Lindsey, a former dancer who he met on the Navigator in 2001--and young sons Luke and Benjamin. "You Make Me Feel So Young," performed as images of his boys flashed on the two side screens, was touching and extra-special. At almost an hour, John's show was already generous, but we would have been happy to listen to him for the rest of the evening--that's how much we enjoyed him. Bravo, John!

 

Rich

Edited November 19, 2016 by Mr Rumor

[CruisetheCs]

Plus blocked sight lines from several seats in the balcony in the show lounge, infrared sauna that doesn't get hot, apparently disappointing infinity pool...

 

Am I the only one who thought that having the flush valve for the toilet directly behind the lid was a bit quirky?

[freddie]

C the Cs - We were told by the chief engineer on one of our Regent cruises (he was the host of our table) that some ships have the flush valve behind the toilet lid in order to force the passenger to close the lid to flush, thereby making the vacuum system work more efficiently. One of the ladies at our table suggested that the design was made by a woman, as it forced the men to close the lid and therefore put the seat down. ;)

[CruisetheCs]

C the Cs - We were told by the chief engineer on one of our Regent cruises (he was the host of our table) that some ships have the flush valve behind the toilet lid in order to force the passenger to close the lid to flush, thereby making the vacuum system work more efficiently. One of the ladies at our table suggested that the design was made by a woman, as it forced the men to close the lid and therefore put the seat down. ;)

 

Somehow I had a feeling this subject might lead to a trek in the wilderness.

Problem with the engineer's rationale is that the lids were easy-close or slow-close lids so you could pull them forward about 3 or 4 inches and flush and the lid would more or less stay put until you pushed it back. Otherwise if the idea was for them to be fully closed for the vacuum system to work you would have to push them all the way down rather than letting the lid take its own slow path to closure. It may be best to just flush this topic down the drain. :)

[Pam]

We sailed on Navigator many years ago, with John Barron as CD. In our opinions, John was the best CD we encountered, ever.