LIVE – Explorer Transatlantic – 11/23 – 12/7/2019

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

31 minutes ago, UUNetBill said:

Wow, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone post THAT phrase before!  LOL!!

I think Jackie meant she is getting of the ship for PR port. They have been at sea for several days. Not disembarking to go home. 
sheila

Edited December 3, 2019 by Bellaggio Cruisers

[Hambagahle]

2 hours ago, UUNetBill said:

Wow, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anyone post THAT phrase before!  LOL!!

Well - Jackie means for the DAY in San Juan!!  Not forever.  Disembarcation at Miami comes, I think, at the end of the week...

[UUNetBill]

1 hour ago, Bellaggio Cruisers said:

I think Jackie meant she is getting of the ship for PR port. They have been at sea for several days. Not disembarking to go home. 
sheila

 

2 minutes ago, Hambagahle said:

Well - Jackie means for the DAY in San Juan!!  Not forever.  Disembarcation at Miami comes, I think, at the end of the week...

Well, that just makes a LOT more sense.  I hope that one day I’ll be able to figure out how those newfangled ‘calendar’ thingies work...    🤪

[Hambagahle]

The market Jackie referred to in Funchal is "Mercado dos Lavradores" . or roughly translated Farmers Market.   It is superb.  Two floors with a large open courtyard on the ground floor.  An easy walk from the centre of town.  I bought a lovely string of red peppers there once - so pretty!  And vanilla essence - so cheap compared to just about anywhere else.

[Travelcat2]

So much to share due to the miserable connectivity on the ship and my inability to keep a connection.

 

Still laughing about Bill thinking that we were happy to be disembarking today.  I did say that but, as most of you know, we were excited to be getting off of the ship after 5 sea days.  We will not be excited to be disembarking in Miami.

 

Puerto Rico has way too many ships in port.  The largest ship in the world (currently) is docked next to us.  It holds between 5800 and 6800 passengers (5800 is double occupancy and the higher number if the maximum passengers allowed on the ship).  It is so enormous that I can't really get a photo of the whole ship.  Do any of you know what the largest passenger ship in the world is (no checking the internet:-)?

 

On the other side of us is the Carnival Breeze that holds between around 3700 and 4,700 passengers.  Having been on NCL's Bliss, the Carnival ship doesn't seem that big but the other ship is overwhelming.  I did take photos of the tiny balcony but cannot post photos until we get home.  

 

I had such good plans for San Juan - having a drink and lunch, etc.  We did taking the 2 1/2 hour city tour (that ran over to 3 hours - something to consider for those of you that think you can do two excursions a day - many excursions run overtime for various reasons.  It is also close to 90 degrees which is above my melting point.  So, between thousands and thousands of people milling around Old Town and the extreme heat and humidity, most passengers wanted to get back to the ship.  We are very happy that we took the tour.  We wanted to learn the history of Puerto Rico as well as how they are recovering from the hurricane two years ago.  We saw many beautiful hotels, condos, beaches,  etc. but we also saw some damage.  The Ritz Carlton has not re-opened (not sure if it ever will).  Unfortunately, the drinks and lunch will have to wait until our next visit.

 

Dinner last night was in Pacific Rim (not a surprise to anyone).  I have mentioned that we feel that the service in Pacific Rim is the best on the ship.  Last night we learned that two servers were new to Regent and had been onboard a short time.  I would not have guessed that in a million years.  One of them does have 15 years on Holland America but it shows that Regent is trying to get the best crew members possible in a very tight market.

 

Across from me in the Business Center is a gentlemen on his first Regent cruise. He and his wife have done many Crystal cruises (including world cruises).  I was not the first person to tell him that this cruise is not "typical".  Between the internet and "some" (not all) new crew members, it is just a bit different.  

 

I know that I had more to say but will likely remember what it was and will post after dinner. 

[ronrick1943]

Looking forward to hearing more, too bad about the  miserable connectivity on the ship.  I have no idea who has the biggest ship,  but one of the reasons we cruise Regent is the size of the ship.  With ships the size you're talking about would make me want tasty on the ship.  PR is a great place but really can't handle that many people at once.  Still sounds like you are having a good time even with the problems you've had.

[chuckw]

 

The we only time we were in PR was long ago on the Navigator.  The only other ship in port was the Diamond.

[judi666]

It was pretty miserable, with thousands of screaming people and children on the dock and environs. We did manage to walk to a restaurant we liked in the past and have a nice lunch and drinks.  Really hot and very high humidity. It was nice to be off the ship after 5 days at sea, but I’m not sure it was worth the effort.  We probably should have done an excursion, but have been to San Juan and other parts of the Island several times.  The only worse port experience I remember is years ago in the Riviera Maya area. I forget the name. Basically a giant shopping center in the middle of the jungle with thousands of people and nothing really to do.

I hope those doing the Rainforest tour enjoyed it. It is a lovely unique area.

 

Unlike TC, I’m more than ready to leave the ship, it’s been over 22 days.  Long enough for me until next time.  The connectivity issues are just too frustrating when my husband had to stay in touch with work and I needed to check in on my elderly fur companions.

Service and wonderful crew members have been great.  Not a fan of the CR, it’s just too big and noisy.  The 6 times ( and lunches) we ate at the other restaurants was really nice.  Thank goodness for the Seti Mari.  A nice space you can go to every night, if you wish.

 

 

[boblerm]

Jackie, et al, thank you for all the good information that you are providing despite the horrible internet issues.  I am totally bummed to be reading about the poor connectivity that everyone is experiencing here, as well as on other threads.  

 

I was on Explorer in August, and while the internet was less than stellar, it was no worse than any other cruise I have been on, certainly good enough for surfing the web and posting photos.  I wonder what changed since then.

[Travelcat2]

Okay - I'm back.  Judi - yes - it was better to take an excursion.  During one stop I stayed on the bus because the heat was too much.  However, we were able to see a lot of things that were of interest.

 

What I forgot to post earlier (I told you that I would eventually remember) was that the Coast Guard came on the ship and decided to "see" a crew drill.  This would have been fine except that they decided that it should happen during lunch and when excursions were returning to the ship.  It is mandatory for all crew attend but that would have left people without anyone in the dining venues.  Eventually, it was decided (in LV - not sure about P7 or Chartreuse) that 5 crew members. would remain to take care of passengers.  Keep in mind that this includes the crew that are preparing food (think pasta, grilled foods, etc.) as well as serving guests drinks and food.  Thankfully we left before the drill began (and it lasted around 45 minutes).

 

Bob - you need to trust me on this ....... in our 34 cruises, we have not experienced such horrible connectivity.  However, I am hopeful that it will be fixed.

 

I rarely drink too much but Dennis and I shared a bottle of Veuvre Cliquot (misspelled) and I drank most of it so I'm spinning a bit.  We decided to forego the show and play a game of Scrabble.  We laugh when we play Scrabble because Dennis comes up with words that no one in the world would think of (and they are probably not acceptable words but we don't really care).

 

Better not post more as I would likely embarrass myself.  

 

P.S.  Rick - I believe that the ship was Splendor of the Seas.  Royal Caribbean always has the largest ships.  I did try to take photos but am not sure that they worked.  The ship was enormous! 

 

 

Edited December 5, 2019 by Travelcat2

[Troban]

Travel Cat, I have seen your helpful posts often and sadly will miss you by hours, we will be boarding in Miami.  Never been on Explorer, we did Alaska on Navigator and loved it.

 

Question where is the special quiet place in CR?  Hubby is hard of hearing so that is an important piece of info.  TIA   

[DeepFreeze63]

4 hours ago, Troban said:

Travel Cat, I have seen your helpful posts often and sadly will miss you by hours, we will be boarding in Miami.  Never been on Explorer, we did Alaska on Navigator and loved it.

 

Question where is the special quiet place in CR?  Hubby is hard of hearing so that is an important piece of info.  TIA   

Please don't share this.

I'm also not hearing blessed and don't like to wear my ear buds (not vanity, stupidity, I once wore a pair into the shower). During our 5 Explorer cruises, I found the CR right side, towards back, in an mid-ship alcove acceptable for my conversations.

[Kwaj girl]

1 hour ago, DeepFreeze63 said:

Please don't share this.

I'm also not hearing blessed and don't like to wear my ear buds (not vanity, stupidity, I once wore a pair into the shower). During our 5 Explorer cruises, I found the CR right side, towards back, in an mid-ship alcove acceptable for my conversations.

 

Too late now...the proverbial cat is out of the bag..😉

[mrlevin]

Port side back is just as good; alas you have a very low ceiling and are a mile away from a restroom but those are the only somewhat quiet spots in Compass Rose on Explorer; I hope they fix that on Splendor (at least remove mirrored wall with that glass "art" sticking out from it).

 

Marc

[papaflamingo]

11 hours ago, Travelcat2 said:

I believe that the ship was Splendor of the Seas.  Royal Caribbean always has the largest ships.  I did try to take photos but am not sure that they worked.  The ship was enormous! 

 

 

Actually the largest cruise ship is (I believe) Symphony of the Seas.  I saw a pic on Facebook from your cruise and it was, indeed, Symphony that was next to you.  Just a personal comment, we have sailed Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class many times, and must admit that they are great for a certain type cruise.  The ship IS the destination.  We took our kids and grandkids in 2017 on Oasis of the Seas and it was spectacular for families. They offer a very high level of entertainment, unrivaled on any other cruise, including a full Broadway Play.  Also slides, surf-riders, zip lines, etc. And amazingly they do a fantastic job managing the crowds.  

BUT,  having said that, we did our first Regent cruise last year, 44 nights on Mariner.  Regent has completely ruined us for any mainline cruise.  

[Travelcat2]

6 hours ago, Troban said:

Travel Cat, I have seen your helpful posts often and sadly will miss you by hours, we will be boarding in Miami.  Never been on Explorer, we did Alaska on Navigator and loved it.

 

Question where is the special quiet place in CR?  Hubby is hard of hearing so that is an important piece of info.  TIA   

Wish that we could have met onboard!

 

There are a few places on Explorer that are quiet and relaxing.  One area is deck 5 - across from Reception.  You will likely find deck 5 a good place to be.  It seems that everything is there (Reception, Destination Services, the Business Center - aka computer room, the Cruise Consultant, the Coffee Connection, the Meridian Lounge and it goes on an on.  Interestingly, it does not get crowded.  There are two seating areas - on in the and one by the windows (which I like best).

 

Then there is the Observation Lounge that, during the day, tends to be almost empty.  

 

In terms of CR, if you arrive early and get a table either by the window or the tables next to those tables, it is no noisier than any other ship. The center of CR tends to be the noisiest.  We personally do not are for the tables in the back of CR but we all have different preferences.

 

May I suggest that if you dine in Prime 7 that you asks for Vishnu’s section?  He is one of the best servers that we have had.  Abraham runs the restaurant and will make sure that everything is great.  It would be nice if you mentioned that Dennis and Jackie (or Mr. and Mrs. Ross) suggested that your sit in that section.  

 

I any case, have a wonderful cruise on our favorite ship!

 

For those of you that were hoping to get photos that I have been unable to provide, I will post photos when I get home.  Some photos go back to when we were in the Azores.  These photos will post quickly from home,

 

This morning we’ll go to a lecture and then I’ll try to accumulate the names of crew members for the digital questionnaire and will do some early packing.  

 

If I have not mentioned it previously, I want to share about our American Airlines experience (if I’ve already posted this, just ignore the paragraph).  It is not easy to get from YVR to MIA.  During this time of the year we like to fly the southern route as the weather is typically better.  So, we generally fly to Dallas and then to YVR on our way home.  American Airlines has changed our flights so many times  that I would prefer not flying them but there are few other choices.  A month ago they changed our flight home - to a departure time of 6:00 a.m.. Obviously this is impossible when the ship doesn’t arrive in Miami until that time.  Dennis spent 4 hours on the phone trying to get a flight.  We could have flown out the next day or take flights that depart at 1:30 p.m. to Los Angeles in seats that are not near each other.  We have a 5 hour layover at LAX and then non-stop to YVR.  That will be one heck of a long day.  Our only solution to this issue is to not fly into or out of MIA. We have two cruises booked that leave or arrive from MIA.  One is the March Splendor cruise and the other is a transatlantic in Splendor in 2021 that wee will likely cancel.  While we understand that the Boeing 737 issue is causing problems with flights, one would think that it would be figured out by now.

 

Obviously I have nothing of much interest to post.  Love just sitting in LV - at a window table - blue skies with some puffy white clouds and slightly rippling seas.  To me this is pure heaven.  Guess I should get something done.   Bye for now.

[Mudhen]

Phew.....!!! So very happy to hear that the Cliquot (sp?) didn't go to waste. I'd be crying here, if it did....haha!

[Troban]

Thank you all, you have given me some great seating tips, we are looking forward to exploring the Explorer.

 

TC. Thank you for Prime 7 info and all the rest, hubby LOVES Prime 7, hoping to get more than 1 night.

 

We have similar American Airlines issue, we actually found cheaper to fly to Ft Lauderdale and shuttle or Uber to Miami port. Thank you so much for posting during  spotty internet and on your Vacay. 

[Travelcat2]

2 hours ago, Mudhen said:

Phew.....!!! So very happy to hear that the Cliquot (sp?) didn't go to waste. I'd be crying here, if it did....haha!

 

It is much nicer to have you two share it with us (we have another bottle - wish that you were here!

[CruiserFromMaine]

You could look at flights from Fort Lauderdale. We’ve been to Miami and flown out of Fort Lauderdale and vice versa.  It’s not hard or very expensive to go from one to the other. 

[Kwaj girl]

1 hour ago, Travelcat2 said:

 

It is much nicer to have you two share it with us (we have another bottle - wish that you were here!

 

Jackie, if you don't know what to do with that bottle....we are available to share!

[forevertravel]

We had to do the survey online this past October. I had no issue with it except that we had Internet issues (we were on the Mariner) and the day prior to disembarking everyone wanted to do the survey. Furthermore, some people didn't feel comfortable doing it online. I think Regent is taking for granted that everyone is computer savvy. One gentleman in particular was having a fit in the computer room and didn't even know how to log on. Fortunately, our TA who was traveling on this cruise took the time to get him set up. I was busy doing mine and so were others. I'm sure that like every thing else it will be solved and get easier.

[Hambagahle]

It is a BIG mistake to "assume" anything.  The demographics on Regent tend to the "older" people.  Who might or might not use computers or might or might not be comfortable with them.  WHO took the decision to make the Guest Survey ONLY online?  That is silly if you want to get high participation.  And WHO decided that it had to be completed before disembarkation - especially with bad internet connectivity on board ??

 

Seems that Mike Moore, in Corporate IT, needs to look into this...

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

4 hours ago, Troban said:

Thank you all, you have given me some great seating tips, we are looking forward to exploring the Explorer.

 

TC. Thank you for Prime 7 info and all the rest, hubby LOVES Prime 7, hoping to get more than 1 night.

 

We have similar American Airlines issue, we actually found cheaper to fly to Ft Lauderdale and shuttle or Uber to Miami port. Thank you so much for posting during  spotty internet and on your Vacay. 

See you onboard on Saturday!
sheila and Herb

[Kwaj girl]

33 minutes ago, Hambagahle said:

It is a BIG mistake to "assume" anything.  The demographics on Regent tend to the "older" people.  Who might or might not use computers or might or might not be comfortable with them.  WHO took the decision to make the Guest Survey ONLY online?  That is silly if you want to get high participation.  And WHO decided that it had to be completed before disembarkation - especially with bad internet connectivity on board ??

 

Seems that Mike Moore, in Corporate IT, needs to look into this...

 

Perhaps the main intent was to get feedback to Miami much quicker and more readable (let's face it, everyone's handwriting is not always easy to read...mine included) they also said it was to reduce paper waste.  While applaudable in that regard, perhaps Regent should also look at reducing other paper waste: almost every other day on this cruise there have been advertising cards or flyers of some sort left in our suite for jewelry sales as well as future cruise itineraries.  It's a bit much IMO