Just booked Explorer Holiday cruise!

[kjbacon]

We just impulsively booked the Holiday Explorer Smooth Sailings and Spicy Shores … love that name! I’m scrambling to get everything booked since it’s picked over but it is so exciting and who really cares which night we go to Chartreuse anyway. I’m not as concerned about shorex because the waitlist almost always comes through. It will be 23 months since our last cruise, coincidentally on the Explorer with a similar itinerary, and its just feeling pretty darn great.

[Mudhen]

We'll be looking for you! We're on the same cruise and have started the count down! We booked it a while back when we heard that our kids would be with in laws for  Christmas. We're totally fine with that as they've been with us for many recent ones. It's the in laws turn!! So, long story short, DH suggested  a cruise. Could we find anything at a late date? The rest is history. Very excited and can't wait to be a board the Explorer for the  holidays. Bet she'll look beautiful!!!

[kjbacon]

Fantastic!! We are Karen and Jack from outside of Philly with a somewhat similar circumstance but with a twist!  We look forward to meeting you.

[DeepFreeze63]

Good on you! We'd love to be with you but family keeps us here.

We had our best New Year's Eve - EVER- on the Explorer. Have lots of joy; many of us are with you in spirit.

[kjbacon]

On 11/19/2021 at 8:20 AM, DeepFreeze63 said:

Good on you! We'd love to be with you but family keeps us here.

We had our best New Year's Eve - EVER- on the Explorer. Have lots of joy; many of us are with you in spirit.

Thanks for these well wishes, we are very excited. What made New Years on the Explorer so special for you? Your experience will add to the fun of our anticipation!

[Mudhen]

1 hour ago, kjbacon said:

Thanks for these well wishes, we are very excited. What made New Years on the Explorer so special for you? Your experience will add to the fun of our anticipation!

We'd love to know the same...have never been on an Xmas/New Year's trip...new for us without our kids! Looking forward to lots of fun and good company. There will be a Margarita and Bloody Mary society meeting at the pool bar on sea days and... who know's....maybe other quiet days as well! giggles! Usually about 11 each sea day We'll  try to keep up the tradition!

 

[loriva]

We are also on this itinerary.  It will be our first Christmas at sea, but third NYE.  (Not with Regent, however.)  Our previous experience is that the staff work very hard to make it festive and lots of fun activities for all to enjoy.  Plus you don't have to worry about driving anywhere!

[loriva]

1 hour ago, Mudhen said:

We'd love to know the same...have never been on an Xmas/New Year's trip...new for us without our kids! Looking forward to lots of fun and good company. There will be a Margarita and Bloody Mary society meeting at the pool bar on sea days and... who know's....maybe other quiet days as well! giggles! Usually about 11 each sea day We'll  try to keep up the tradition!

 

 

And we look forward to attending the Margarita and Bloody Mary Society meetings!

[Mudhen]

So looking forward to meeting you and others that are doing Holidays at Sea! The BM&MS meetings were established on the first Explorer TA years ago. We had a group that would gather at the pool bar for "treats" around 11 am. I guess that timing took, as we made great friends and had lots of fun during that time. It's gonna be great!!!!

[kjbacon]

1 hour ago, Mudhen said:

We'd love to know the same...have never been on an Xmas/New Year's trip...new for us without our kids! Looking forward to lots of fun and good company. There will be a Margarita and Bloody Mary society meeting at the pool bar on sea days and... who know's....maybe other quiet days as well! giggles! Usually about 11 each sea day We'll  try to keep up the tradition!

 

 

20 minutes ago, loriva said:

 

And we look forward to attending the Margarita and Bloody Mary Society meetings!

It seems to me that our first day is a sea day so we best get off to a good start with the Margarita and Bloody Mary Society first meeting. Name a time and place, we will be there.

[DeepFreeze63]

6 hours ago, kjbacon said:

Thanks for these well wishes, we are very excited. What made New Years on the Explorer so special for you? Your experience will add to the fun of our anticipation!

I have very fond memories of our New Years cruise on Explorer through the Panama canal. We boarded a few days after Christmas and loved the decorations. Amazingly, in the afternoon of New Year's Eve, the green and red disappeared and were replaced with beautiful black and silver decorations! Dinner in CR was festive with Regent-supplied party hats, masks (the gala kind), and noise makers. Lots of passengers singing and toasting. Immediately after dinner, music and dancing began in the Atrium area with the Production Cast all in attendance. A WOW event - our best New Years party, ever.

And as others have posted we didn't have to drive home or cleanup after our guests departed!

[daetchief]

Here is a memory of our RSS Voyager NYE celebration in 2018/2019.  These are the Cruise Director Andy Heath and his Lovely Wife And Social Hostess Tammy.

[kjbacon]

9 hours ago, DeepFreeze63 said:

I have very fond memories of our New Years cruise on Explorer through the Panama canal. We boarded a few days after Christmas and loved the decorations. Amazingly, in the afternoon of New Year's Eve, the green and red disappeared and were replaced with beautiful black and silver decorations! Dinner in CR was festive with Regent-supplied party hats, masks (the gala kind), and noise makers. Lots of passengers singing and toasting. Immediately after dinner, music and dancing began in the Atrium area with the Production Cast all in attendance. A WOW event - our best New Years party, ever.

And as others have posted we didn't have to drive home or cleanup after our guests departed!

That sounds awesome and I am so looking forward to it! Thank you for sharing and adding to the excitement.

[Emdee]

We will be on this cruise and cannot wait. Went on SS in August and while it was great to get away it was not Regent. 
Counting down to this trip.

[irishwitchy]

I can’t see us ever going on a Christmas cruise for loads of reasons, but the NYE is giving me some thoughts! 

[kjbacon]

12 hours ago, Emdee said:

We will be on this cruise and cannot wait. Went on SS in August and while it was great to get away it was not Regent. 
Counting down to this trip.

Hopefully you will be at the Margarita and Bloody Mary Society Meeting! I had said on our first day but I realize that it will be our second day with the Bahamas on day one. Is SS Silversea? How does that line compare to Regent?

[Mudhen]

We've actually done both Regent and SS. Kind of like apples and oranges. SS is slightly more formal, each and every suite gets a butler (for what they're worth). We've only been in middle of the line, veranda cabins , very similar to Regent. I like Regent's food better, but I'd give a slight nod to SS on included wine. I think SS has better itineraries, especially in the Med. SS doesn't usually include any shore excursions, but they may be throwing in some now. I don't think you can go wrong with either line, but I'll give the edge to Regent. Of course we've never had a bad cruise on ANY line (same one) and we've been doing this a long time.....haha!

[kjbacon]

21 hours ago, Mudhen said:

We've actually done both Regent and SS. Kind of like apples and oranges. SS is slightly more formal, each and every suite gets a butler (for what they're worth). We've only been in middle of the line, veranda cabins , very similar to Regent. I like Regent's food better, but I'd give a slight nod to SS on included wine. I think SS has better itineraries, especially in the Med. SS doesn't usually include any shore excursions, but they may be throwing in some now. I don't think you can go wrong with either line, but I'll give the edge to Regent. Of course we've never had a bad cruise on ANY line (same one) and we've been doing this a long time.....haha!

We prefer a less formal environment so I don’t think SS is for us. It’s been a long time so we are so excited for this trip! We are anxiously awaiting our first official society meeting at 11am at the Pool Bar. Most evenings, we can be found at a window table in the Observation Lounge enjoying the music and cocktail hour. Somewhere here on the boards, I think I read that Ross is not on board the Explorer right now so he will be missed.

[Mudhen]

If it's at all possible, John and I usually sit at the Ob Bar, bar. However I'm interested in some of the "craft" cocktails that apparently are only served at the Meridian. Wonder why? Anyway, I'm sure we'll do the Ob Bar as well. We too are looking forward to the BM&M society meeting...giggle! 

Just got the email that our "online registration" thing is coming up. I dread it....I'm not computer savy and I'm not sure how to download the photos from my Iphone to the desk top, to the form. Brave new world. Hoping if I flub it up, they'll take the photos at the terminal....could be interesting!!!

[fudgbug]

Have fun all and happy holidays!

[Pudgesmom]

2 hours ago, Mudhen said:

Just got the email that our "online registration" thing is coming up. I dread it....I'm not computer savy and I'm not sure how to download the photos from my Iphone to the desk top, to the form. Brave new world. Hoping if I flub it up, they'll take the photos at the terminal....could be interesting!!!

You can do the online registration right from your phone, so no download needed. 🙂

[Mudhen]

5 minutes ago, Pudgesmom said:

You can do the online registration right from your phone, so no download needed. 🙂

I think you may have made my day! Thank you!

[kjbacon]

6 hours ago, Mudhen said:

If it's at all possible, John and I usually sit at the Ob Bar, bar. However I'm interested in some of the "craft" cocktails that apparently are only served at the Meridian. Wonder why? Anyway, I'm sure we'll do the Ob Bar as well. We too are looking forward to the BM&M society meeting...giggle! 

Just got the email that our "online registration" thing is coming up. I dread it....I'm not computer savy and I'm not sure how to download the photos from my Iphone to the desk top, to the form. Brave new world. Hoping if I flub it up, they'll take the photos at the terminal....could be interesting!!!

There’s just too many places for cocktails on this ship … NOT! May I ask your first name? 

[Mudhen]

Just now, kjbacon said:

There’s just too many places for cocktails on this ship … NOT! May I ask your first name? 

We're Linda and John....Hudson Valley area of NY

and you folks are.....?

[Mudhen]

Oh stupido me....of course, you're Karen and Jack from Philly....ah duh! Sorry about that!

L&J