Cruising in the Time of Covid: Explorer January 19 – February 4, 2022, San Diego to Miami

[frantic36]

4 hours ago, GoNavyFamily said:

Meanwhile, we greatly enjoyed an exotic fruit buffet at the pool grill today! Fruits included passion fruit, dragon fruit, sawo, zapote, luilo, mango and more traditional varieties. Really delicious!

 

Thank You for taking the time to post your review and wonderful photos. I am hopefully doing a circumnavigation around South America via the Panama Canal next year on another line. I hope they do a similar exotic fruit buffet. I recognise quite a few of the fruits due to travels to Asia but some like saw and luilo will be a new taste sensation. 

 

3 hours ago, pnsnkr said:

 

Love tropical fruits! Is this a standard offering in every cruise or if this based on itinerary?

 

BTW, this is a hilarious video of tropical fruits tasting on Regent:

 

That video was very funny and I do have some sympathy for the young woman. I am like you and love tropical fruits and say this as one who seeks out Durian when I am in Asia 😁.

[forgap]

21 minutes ago, Aloha 1 said:

4 hours ago, RachelG said:

 

No nuts and chips??That is just sad and for no reason. Serve individual bowls like Oceania does.

Individual bowls are provided as well as hot canapés if desired.  They just aren’t out on the table when you sit down. 
 

[DaveFr]

24 minutes ago, Aloha 1 said:

No nuts and chips??That is just sad and for no reason. Serve individual bowls like Oceania does.

We just got off the Explorer on January 19. On that cruise and the two preceding cruises, while the normal container of peanuts was not on each table, individual bowls of chips and mixed nuts were readily available upon request.

 

Dave

[pnsnkr]

4 hours ago, frantic36 said:

 

 

That video was very funny and I do have some sympathy for the young woman. I am like you and love tropical fruits and say this as one who seeks out Durian when I am in Asia 😁.

 

When I visited Malaysia for work, the site manager invited us to a Durian stand during lunch break, possibly as a joke.  Well, I took my tropical fruit experience a bit more seriously and finished off an entire fruit, maybe even more.  They kept serving and I kept lopping them up like candy. Totally loved it.  They did clear out my calendar and cancelled the rest of the meetings for the day.

 

 

[El turista]

@GoNavyFamily

 

Did you have to do an antigen test in the ship before arriving in Cartagena? I'm doing Cartagena later this month in another Royal ship so I'm glad to see the Explorer was able to dock.

[GoNavyFamily]

44 minutes ago, El turista said:

@GoNavyFamily

 

Did you have to do an antigen test in the ship before arriving in Cartagena? I'm doing Cartagena later this month in another Royal ship so I'm glad to see the Explorer was able to dock.

No, we had zero testing requirements once on board. But realize times are fluid and countries change their requirements routinely. We disembarked this morning and are currently in the Centurion lounge hanging out till closer to plane boarding time. It was nothing but basically showing our passport and answering a few standard questions to get through the port. 

[forgap]

The ship cleared for debarkation at about 8:20 and our group was called at about 8:30.  We collected our luggage and waited in line for about 30 minutes to clear customs .  We called for a Lyft and were at the airport by 9:30.  Our flight doesn’t leave until 2:15,  As luck would have it, Turkish airlines has a lounge in the same area as our gate.  It is open for Priority Pass members.  It is lovely with ample food and drink and spaces to eat or relax.  Our devices are now plugged in so we are all set to spend a few hours until ou flight.

[Brownie54]

Thanks again for posting! All of your photos were great!

[WesW]

Thanks for sharing your voyage in words and snaps forgap and GoNavyFamily.  Jennifer/Georges safe flight/travel home to a cold Atlanta (rained all morning) from upper 40's now to upper 20's Tomorrow.

Edited February 4, 2022 by WesW

[boblerm]

4 hours ago, WesW said:

Thanks for sharing your voyage in words and snaps forgap and GoNavyFamily.  Jennifer/Georges safe flight/travel home to a cold Atlanta (rained all morning) from upper 40's now to upper 20's Tomorrow.

Let me echo Wes' words of thanks for this most enjoyable trip report!

 

Hey Wes, love your new profile pic!

 

Bob

[Aloha 1]

5 hours ago, WesW said:

Thanks for sharing your voyage in words and snaps forgap and GoNavyFamily.  Jennifer/Georges safe flight/travel home to a cold Atlanta (rained all morning) from upper 40's now to upper 20's Tomorrow.

Appropriate picture for those weather conditions !

[WesW]

Thanks Bob and Aloha 1; we had a terrific 2021 Antarctica holiday voyage on Silversea.  If Regent offered Expedition voyages we would book, alas according to the CEO of NCLH, Frank Del Rio in a phone call to me a few years ago, Regent will absolutely not enter the expedition market.

 

Bob, took me a few years to get Ida to agree to go to Antarctica.  She not only was thrilled with the wildlife and scenery, she also  did a Polar Plunge (pix below)  with me.  Antarctica is a Home Run for scenery and wildlife, but South Georgia Islands is the Grand Slam for  wildlife (imagine being in the middle of hundreds of thousands of Penguins).   We will do Ushuaia to Capetown on Silversea in March 2023.

 

 

Edited February 5, 2022 by WesW

[TV Dad]

Thanks for taking DW and me along on the cruise, through Cruise Critic. Your posts and pics were marvelous!

 

We were scheduled to join you and had to cancel because of Covid. Fortunately, Regent gave us a complete FCC and we are booked on a wonderful cruise in 2023. Portugal to England!  

[forgap]

We are now home and bundled in sweaters.  The temps dropped as we were flying home from Miami and we were very glad we stuffed our down jackets in our carryon.  
 

We sorted our mail and guess what? We received a package from Regent! In celebration of their 30th anniversary, we received four beautiful white quartz coasters. Thank you, Regent Seven Seas Cruises!

PS- I gained six pounds - the most of any cruise to date.  UGH!  I want to post my reflections on this cruise in a few days after we settle in.  The good, the bad, and the ugly (noses hanging out of masks - kind of obscene, IMHO)

[forgap]

We have been home for three full days and i thought it would be helpful to summarize the Covid cruise experience for those of you on the fence or booked in the future.

 

TESTING

Perhaps we went a bit overboard but we got PCR tests before we left home (one week prior to the cruise) and then again 72 hours before boarding.  All passengers were antigen tested on boarding.  No testing was done for passengers during the cruise although crew were tested once a week.  I was tested randomly by authorities in Puerto Chiapas, Mexico and I self tested three days prior to disembarkation.  Both my husband and I got PCR tests yesterday to make sure we weren’t asymptomatic after the cruise and flying home - all negative.  
 

COVID PROTOCOLS

Masks were required inside on the ship except when eating or drinking.  Most passengers complied but there were always individuals who cut corners by letting their noses hang out, or faked eating and drinking, or simply removed their masks during lectures and shows in the theater.  Staff would always politely remind folks if you forgot your mask when walking around.  
 

I think that the source of crew infections had to be passengers, especially in the dining venues.  One had to lean in close to communicate given masks, accents, and hearing loss.  The masks usually came off when the napkins were placed on laps.  Hand sanitizing was monitored and encouraged.  
 

EMBARKATION

This was quick until the Regent check in.   First was Covid paperwork and testing checkin.  If you pre registered it was a quick process. Next was testing and waiting for results, about 20 minutes total.  We then had passport check, received a negative test wristband, a Regent gold sticker (??), and ushered into a large waiting area and given a group number for check in.  This was the longest ordeal as the number of passengers waiting increased as the minutes ticked by.  There were about 8 check-in stations and most passengers had not completed their Columbia paperwork so that seemed to slow the process down.  This took about an hour.
 

ITINERARY

We knew ahead of time that our itinerary would be fluid.  Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Cayman Islands were out before we got on the ship and Puerto Chiapas, Mexico and Kingston, Jamaica were substitutes.  Cartagena was up in the air.  As luck would have it, Columbia loosened their requirements on 2/1 so we ditched Kingston and added a sea day so we could visit Columbia.  The Panama Canal was always the star of the show for this trip.  
 

ENRICHMENT LECTURES

We only attended the lectures by Javier Corrales, a Political Science Professor at Amherst, who was very well prepared and very good.  Given that we have never studied political science, the information was very accessible and we learned a lot about democracy and autocracy.

 

ENTERTAINMENT

My comments are highly subjective but some entertainment was very good, specifically Doug Cameron, the electric violinist, and Cora Kehaney, the comedian.  The production shows were awful and I left Divos & Divas, the one that has music and dance from around the world, and the one with music from the 60’s.  Some of the guest singers were not my cup of tea either.  It just seemed like I was watching a second tier Vegas lounge act.  
 

STAFF

The staff that was face to face with passengers was exceptional across the board.  This was the most polite, attentive, congenial crew we have experienced in nine Regent cruises.  It helped that we had a reduced passenger load, I imagine, but all seemed genuinely happy to be back to interact with passengers.  
 

This was also the first cruise where we had NO interaction with ship officers with the exception of Lorraine W., our Cruise Director who is always gracious and lovely.  We never saw the captain or general manager or head chef or anyone else in leadership positions.  
 

FOOD AND DRINK

I gained six pounds.  What more can I say?  I don’t think we had  the most exciting menus or innovative experiences but it was all solid.  Breakfast in La Veranda was very repetitive but, well, it’s breakfast.   The specialty restaurants were great and we went to Pacific Rim three times….our favorite.    The Meridian Lounge was a go to for cocktails.  Fresh ingredients and craft concoctions were wonderful,  

 

THE SHIP

This was our first time on the Explorer.  I loved the aesthetics of it.  There are design flaws especially in the theater, but the cabins and public spaces are very nicely appointed.  I missed aft outdoor lounging spaces which the older ships have.   There is also no forward outdoor viewing space which would have been nice as we transited the canal,  

 

THE REGENT EXPERIENCE

This was not the full Regent experience that we have grown to love and expect.   Some events were missing due to Covid protocols but, when reading about cruises on other Regent ships at the same time as ours, I’ve come to the conclusion the Covid just may be a convenient excuse.  We had no block party, no deck BBQ, no dance parties, no Krew Kapers - nothing to make this cruise stand out.  The events for the day were repetitive.  There was a wine lunch, a champagne tasting, and a whiskey tasting - all at an extra cost that seemed excessive even with a healthy on board credit account.  

CONCLUSION

We are happy that we took this cruise.  Our anxiety about the Omicron surge was palpable but our anticipation about traveling again was wonderful.   Our friends thought we were foolish to even venture out but, after two years of laying low, we were willing to take the risk and glad that we did.  
 

Traveling fools that we are, we have one Silversea and one Regent cruise booked for ‘22 and two Regent cruises booked for ‘23.  We have set foot on all seven continents so we may have to revisit some of our favorite places.  CARPE DIEM! 

 

[donna r]

1 hour ago, forgap said:

EMBARKATION

This was quick until the Regent check in.   First was Covid paperwork and testing checkin.  If you pre registered it was a quick process. Next was testing and waiting for results, about 20 minutes total.  We then had passport check, received a negative test wristband, a Regent gold sticker (??), and ushered into a large waiting area and given a group number for check in.  This was the longest ordeal as the number of passengers waiting increased as the minutes ticked by.  There were about 8 check-in stations and most passengers had not completed their Columbia paperwork so that seemed to slow the process down.  This took about an hour.

We are on Explorer now and our embarkation process was very quick. 
However we picked a 1:30 arrival time and there were very few people there, maybe 10 including us. We also found parking on the first deck. We also did all the Regent online checking requirements before heading out to Miami. So that may be the secret!!

[GoNavyFamily]

Having just read @forgap's comments on our cruise, I will say I am in total agreement with her very accurate and well written summary.  This is our first travel on a "luxury" line.  We have previously cruised with Celebrity and Viking. After sailing on lines with smaller passenger counts, I doubt I will ever go back to a cruise with thousands of people on board.

 

From a Regent newbie's perspective, I will add the following opinions.  Some may come off as complaints but I want to point out a few shortcomings from our expectations while praising what made Regent so special.

 

Food, service, attentiveness of staff, cabin comfort - all exemplary and the best we have ever experienced.  I was blown away by the food and the options available, and especially how delicious it was, until the last full day before disembarkation.  We were disappointed in the food that final day - it was no longer hot and fresh tasting.  Lukewarm fries and soup, etc. were well below the quality we had eaten up till then. Not sure why....  I'm hoping that when we sail with a full passenger count, the overall excellent quality remains.  We also loved the bed, the linens, and the touches of comfort throughout the cabin.

 

Included excursions - I realize that where you stop can limit what is available to do, but the one we took in Cabo was so horrible we actually made the bus stop two hours in so that we could walk back to the ship. Another couple on our bus followed suit.  Someone from Regent should better vet what they offer. The Costa Rica excursion was just ok; I think maybe we should have picked a different one.  Overall I was disappointed in the excursions although Cartegena was very nice.

 

Entertainment - We too enjoyed Doug Cameron, walked out on another singer, and never went to the rest.  We are on a different schedule than most people - early to rise, earlier to sleep.  So that last night when there was a pre-dinner show (Doug Cameron), we really enjoyed having entertainment and then dinner.  I wish Regent would offer more pre-dinner shows.

 

We are mostly content to lounge by the pool under shade during sea days, and so did not mind the lack of ship activities of interest to us.  We did not attend the lectures as the topics did not appeal to us.  They were all politically based.  I would have liked a lecture on the building of the Panama Canal, or on the stars that one could view at night from our locations, for example. 

 

Suggestions based on very subjective preferences:

 

When conditions permit - wouldn't it be lovely to combine a lecture with lunch once during the cruise - a "Lunch and Learn"? I'm not sure that is physically possible but maybe it could be a sign up (free) event held in a lounge, so that numbers could be controlled.

 

I wish Regent offered a true brunch option a couple of mornings - served until 1pm.  Sometimes I really craved a breakfast type lunch but you can't get that past 10AM on the ship.

 

The gym should be opened earlier than 7am.  I'm not sure why it isn't just open 24/7 as many of the days there was no staff person in there anyway.

 

While the smoking area on the pool deck can't be physically moved, there were a few days when I had to move from my lounge chair because the wind was blowing the smell of the smoke out onto the pool deck.  The smoking area is not designed very well and really should not have been placed in the most often used public area.  On other ships we have cruised, the smoking area is well back from where people gather and relax for hours at a time.  An alternate suggestion, given the current design, is to not allow smoking during the day in this particular area.

 

Deck 12 is very nice to use for a morning walk, or a post dinner stroll.  However, in the mornings the deck was very wet and also fairly slick.  One suggestion would be to roughen up the walking path to make it less slippery, or, find a better time to wash it down so it isn't so wet first thing in the morning.  And, a few nights when we tried to take a stroll after dinner, around 8:30pm, the crew were pressure washing that area and we could not walk.  Since this is the only place to stroll outside at night, I wish they would find a better time for this, so that passengers can enjoy being outside early evening.

 

Realizing that our cruise experience was outside the norm because of covid, we had a wonderful experience and have booked two more Regent cruises for 2023.  Regent is definitely much more expensive than many other lines on most itineraries, but you are getting what you pay for.  I love that it is all inclusive - no concerns about additional expenses for drinks, excursions, or gratuities. The cabin layout and amenities were the nicest we have ever experienced. We appreciated the variety of places to eat and the various menu options, and the high food quality.  The staff and crew could not have been any better - attentive, courteous, and always helpful.  And including business class air on international flights (which did not apply to this cruise) is a huge additional benefit. I'm not sure if another line offers the same level of benefits as Regent.

 

We look forward to hopefully experiencing "normal" Regent cruises in 2023!

[1982CruzStart]

Thank you to both of you for the great reviews. 

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

Agreed….regarding late breakfast/ brunch. We are late sleepers, but love breakfast.

Our choices are two:

miss breakfast and have an early lunch.  Or…

get up earlier to have breakfast. 
neither is appealing. 
sheila

[Socky Sunshine]

We also agree about late breakfast/brunch.  I totally agree with Sheila.

[forgap]

1 hour ago, Socky Sunshine said:

We also agree about late breakfast/brunch.  I totally agree with Sheila.

I looked forward to Sunday brunch on Explorer and we didn’t even get that!  

[islandchick]

11 hours ago, forgap said:

THE REGENT EXPERIENCE

This was not the full Regent experience that we have grown to love and expect.   Some events were missing due to Covid protocols but, when reading about cruises on other Regent ships at the same time as ours, I’ve come to the conclusion the Covid just may be a convenient excuse.  We had no block party, no deck BBQ, no dance parties, no Krew Kapers - nothing to make this cruise stand out.  The events for the day were repetitive.  There was a wine lunch, a champagne tasting, and a whiskey tasting - all at an extra cost that seemed excessive even with a healthy on board credit account.  

I certainly hope this is not the case on my upcoming April TA cruise. We are new to Regent and were really excited to hear about the Sunday brunch, deck BBQ, special afternoon teas, etc. When we sailed on Seabourn these types of special events really made the cruise for us. Hopefully it really is Covid related but if that is what Regent is using as an excuse it than it doesn't really make sense that everyone can still can eat at the buffet everyday . Seems like a good excuse to save money. 

[GeorgiaPeach51]

37 minutes ago, islandchick said:

I certainly hope this is not the case on my upcoming April TA cruise. We are new to Regent and were really excited to hear about the Sunday brunch, deck BBQ, special afternoon teas, etc. When we sailed on Seabourn these types of special events really made the cruise for us. Hopefully it really is Covid related but if that is what Regent is using as an excuse it than it doesn't really make sense that everyone can still can eat at the buffet everyday . Seems like a good excuse to save money. 

I agree regarding all the missing special things.  We would be very disappointed to find all that missing, especially if they took place on other ships during the same timeframe.  
 

But we are optimists, and especially given that masks are now not required, we can only hope that means a return to more normal operations on the ships.  We are very excited to take our first Regent cruise, and are hoping it will be our new cruise line of choice.  I guess I’m a little tiny bit apprehensive that our cruise on March 3 will be perhaps the first test case for the new normal, and they won’t have time to work any wrinkles out, if there are any....but it is out of my realm of influence so we are going to keep being excited!  We are SO ready for a cruise escape!

 

Joanie

[GoNavyFamily]

A correction and additional comments and questions:

 

It was the excursion in Acapulco that was really horrible, not Cabo, although that one was not very good either.

 

I did not even realize how many "normal" Regent activities were missing until I read everyone's comments. I am sad that so much was not included in our experience.

 

And a question....we have booked a UK cruise summer 2023 and another more exotic itinerary early Dec 2023.  On Viking, children are not allowed. While I love kids (I have 6 young grandchildren), I'm concerned about our experience if many children are on board. Can anyone speak to historically how likely it is that children will be on the ship and if so, how that impacts the experience? I can't imagine enjoying dinner, being on a tour bus or sitting by the pool with a lot of energetic children around me.

[mj_holiday]

First,  thank you for your comments/suggestions.  Hope you got some of these on you end of cruise survey/comment.

 

We have done 5 Regent cruises and have not been bothered by children.  What ever few we have seen have been "well behaved".  But we have not cruised in the middle of summer.