Explorer: live from 10/20/23 Japan Cruise/ positives & negatives

[Aloha 1]

And don't forget Cork and Cleaver!

[Covepointcruiser]

So not of Ruth Chris caliber?

[rkaratsu]

2 hours ago, Covepointcruiser said:

So not of Ruth Chris caliber?…

Nor Fleming’s or Morton’s (and I think that is one thing everyone on this board would agree on!) But you can still have a nice experience in Prime 7. I still think the amuse bouche is my favorite bite on the entire ship, the wedge or Caesar salads are good (especially early on in the cruise) and the filet and the pork chop are fine.

 

Maybe best thing is to not listen to people like me and just enjoy yourself! 😀

[Tsunami74]

6 hours ago, rkaratsu said:

But you can still have a nice experience in Prime 7. I still think the amuse bouche is my favorite bite on the entire ship, the wedge or Caesar salads are good (especially early on in the cruise) and the filet and the pork chop are fine 😀

How about the popcorn sundae??  I am usually not a desert eater, but I save room for this.😋

[Techno123]

5 hours ago, Tsunami74 said:

How about the popcorn sundae??  I am usually not a desert eater, but I save room for this.😋

Unless you end up wearing it as happened to @welshfamily when the waiter developed butter fingers😜. I believe she has recovered though and is looking forward to the next attempt.

[flossie009]

34 minutes ago, Techno123 said:

I believe she has recovered though and is looking forward to the next attempt.

Are you referring to the guest or the waiter? 😉 😂

[Techno123]

1 hour ago, flossie009 said:

Are you referring to the guest or the waiter? 😉 😂

Possibly both😜

 

[Pies4u]

Our conclusions were that the quality and range of food available at both the breakfast and lunch buffets had deteriorated, considerably, from our pre-Covid cruises. There were no berries throughout the whole cruise, never saw a blueberry, raspberry or strawberry. No beetroot in the salad range either. The whole cold fish and meat island was depleted and had nothing like the normal range. It was like they had to ration it on a daily basis.

 

I have no idea what they did to the mustard herring, but that was inedible, the mustard sauce was nothing like is usually is. Plus, they were just “young, brown, sardines”, which taste completely different to the mature “Atlantic” herring - which the plain and cream options, clearly, were.

 

Generally, most restaurants were ok but the lasagne served in Sette Marie was a soggy mess and we just don’t care for the food in Chartreuse, full stop, so I wouldn’t criticise individual dishes too much. (However: My wife’s chicken was inedible and the lobster/mousse is an unpleasant experience anyway!).

 

Sadly, the tomato soup amuse bouche in P7 used to be our favourite too - but on the 2 occasions we had it this time, it was far too spicy. I used to think I’d like a bowlful as a starter but you couldn’t eat a bowl of the version served this time, you’d lose the power of speech and destroy your taste buds.

 

Thus, I’d say that whilst c 85% of the food was fine and prepared & presented well, it’s the 15% that wasn’t that sticks in your mind. Never felt like that in any other Regent cruise. It all seemed a bit underwhelming tbh, which is disappointing for a luxury line.

 

The ship itself is is pretty good shape, we were unlucky in getting a P’ house B with torn carpet and damaged bathroom cupboards but the bathroom itself, shower, beds and lounge/dining areas were all impressive.

 

The entertainment team were very good too - as were all the staff, the usual helpful, friendly and courteous service was evident throughout the ship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tryber]

I have some good friends who just tried their first Regent cruise.  We were both Crystal fans, and both tried Seabourn last year for the first time.  I didn't find the food on Seabourn to be particularly good overall, but the steak in the TK Grill was on par with any top tier steakhouse.  My friend described the steak in the Regent specialty restaurant as Denny's quality, and that his description was probably an insult to Denny's.  Whether it's Outback quality, Denny's quality, or worse, that's not what you expect from a luxury cruise line.  

[many cruises]

1 hour ago, tryber said:

I have some good friends who just tried their first Regent cruise.  We were both Crystal fans, and both tried Seabourn last year for the first time.  I didn't find the food on Seabourn to be particularly good overall, but the steak in the TK Grill was on par with any top tier steakhouse.  My friend described the steak in the Regent specialty restaurant as Denny's quality, and that his description was probably an insult to Denny's.  Whether it's Outback quality, Denny's quality, or worse, that's not what you expect from a luxury cruise line.  

Thank you for getting this posting back on topic.  We were discussing the positives/negatives of Regent Cruises.  

[John Cruise]

Just my opinion, but just off Explorer I would have to say a

6 star dining experience on a ship can never compare to a 6

star rated land restaurant experience.

JC

[tryber]

4 hours ago, John Cruise said:

Just my opinion, but just off Explorer I would have to say a

6 star dining experience on a ship can never compare to a 6

star rated land restaurant experience.

JC

I would agree if you are talking about the main dining room that serves hundreds of people.  I don't agree that a specialty restaurant on a ship cannot be as good as one on land. I thought TK Grill was pretty close, though it didn't have the consistency of a Thomas Keller restaurant on land, particularly if you made the mistake of ordering a special not on the regular menu.  The Nobu Matsuhisa restaurant on Crystal was as good as the ones on land (I live in L.A. and have been to every incarnation of Matsuhisa/Nobu restaurants since the beginning, so I have a basis for comparison).  

 

In any event, even if you shouldn't expect a ship-based restaurant to keep the same level of service and consistency as a land-based restaurant, the quality of the ingredients should be as good if you use the right sources and spend the necessary money.  The quality of the steakhouse on Regent that has been described here is 2-3 star, which isn't even in the ballpark of 6 star.  

 

On the positive side, my friend did say he thought the ship itself was the nicest he has ever been on.  And he thought some of the food was very good.  But he said he wouldn't return because the food was far too inconsistent, and some if downright bad.  

[John Cruise]

I totally agree with Nobu.  Crystal comes close for sure.

But I have never had.a fabulous meal on Seabourn or

Regent that comes close to 6 stars for the entire meal.

Sure one course may be a wow but that’s it.

I never leave thinking boy that was sure worth what I’m 

paying for on this cruise, what a great gourmet evening.

So I guess what I mean is that I will still say luxury cruises

are by far the best you’re going to get, just don’t expect

what is advertised as 6 star dining. Specially restaurants or not.

🫤

 

 

[snorkle lover]

I am finding this food discussion very interesting. We have been on three Regent cruises and getting ready for our fourth on the Grandeur in January. I think that food opinions to a degree is rather subjective but that being said how does Regents menu and food compare to Silver Seas or Oceania to anyone who has sailed on both?

[Stickman1990]

We’re currently on Explorer in Japan and sadly the service on restaurants is sub standard - that assessment being based on multiple services misses across multiple groups dining in various restaurants. We’ll be arranging a meeting with the Food & Beverage Manager to outline the issues as I can’t believe that any manager would be happy with the service that guests are experiencing

 

I’m not talking the likes or dislikes for particular items on the menu - that comes down to personal preference although I guess they can be messed up but that doesn’t seem to be the issue so far - it’s about the service standards 

 

What we are experiencing is different than what we experienced on Explorer this time last year 

 

Examples are poor speed of initial service on being seated including drinks orders, tables setup with utensils and taking of orders in La Veranda and then poor delivery of meals - over hour long waits for breakfast items in Compass Rose today for at least 4 groups of friends 

 

Thankfully our experience in Pacific Rim last night was pretty good - both food and service 

 

I just wanted to post about this as it has been a surprise and a disappointment to us and our many friends onboard - enough to start impacting the overall enjoyment - and I’m sure Regent don’t intend that to be the case 

 

This isn’t a case of comparing/ranking performance with other lines we’ve sailed on in the last year which are Regent, Silversea, Viking and Explora Journeys - sadly (or I guess fortunately) we’ve never experienced this level of service misses on any of those lines - this is about what is an acceptable level of delivery on any luxury line

Edited November 13, 2023 by Stickman1990

[John Cruise]

Hey Stickman,

I was just on Explorer in October and TOTALLY agree with

your report.

we played a game, where are the chefs?

on the Grandeur we figured.

😎

[Tsunami74]

1 hour ago, snorkle lover said:

I am finding this food discussion very interesting. We have been on three Regent cruises and getting ready for our fourth on the Grandeur in January. I think that food opinions to a degree is rather subjective but that being said how does Regents menu and food compare to Silver Seas or Oceania to anyone who has sailed on both?

We have found that the Regent dining experience is mostly very nice, but some meals on Oceania (either in Jacques or Red Ginger) are memorable.

[2guysabz]

8 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

We’re currently on Explorer in Japan and sadly the service on restaurants is sub standard - that assessment being based on multiple services misses across multiple groups dining in various restaurants. We’ll be arranging a meeting with the Food & Beverage Manager to outline the issues as I can’t believe that any manager would be happy with the service that guests are experiencing

 

I’m not talking the likes or dislikes for particular items on the menu - that comes down to personal preference although I guess they can be messed up but that doesn’t seem to be the issue so far - it’s about the service standards 

 

What we are experiencing is different than what we experienced on Explorer this time last year 

 

Examples are poor speed of initial service on being seated including drinks orders, tables setup with utensils and taking of orders in La Veranda and then poor delivery of meals - over hour long waits for breakfast items in Compass Rose today for at least 4 groups of friends 

 

Thankfully our experience in Pacific Rim last night was pretty good - both food and service 

 

I just wanted to post about this as it has been a surprise and a disappointment to us and our many friends onboard - enough to start impacting the overall enjoyment - and I’m sure Regent don’t intend that to be the case 

 

This isn’t a case of comparing/ranking performance with other lines we’ve sailed on in the last year which are Regent, Silversea, Viking and Explora Journeys - sadly (or I guess fortunately) we’ve never experienced this level of service misses on any of those lines - this is about what is an acceptable level of delivery on any luxury line

Currently on this same cruise and fully concur. Appears to be woefully understaffed. Long waits for seating at Compass Rose for dinner and Veranda breakfast crowded out and had to sit outside in low temperatures. Coffee arrived as we are leaving. Late delivery of room service breakfast. One server and bartender in a busy Meridian Lounge. When you say anything they just say sorry it’s very busy. Not had sight of the food and beverage manager or any other supervisory persons. Hopefully things will improve but if not our first Regent experience looks like it will also be the last unfortunately. We are not overly fussy cruisers but we do expect a certain level of service. So far, Regent does not appear to be a patch on Silversea, Crystal or even Azamara despite it being far and away our most expensive cruise to date. 

[pappy1022]

Quote from a previous post: “Tours can be good or bad on any cruise line at any time. It has been hard for all segments of the travel industry to recover from Covid. Given that and what we experience daily in the service industry at home, I feel your statements are a bit harsh”

 

Come on, enough of the COVID excuses. 

[pappy1022]

On 10/30/2023 at 5:02 AM, papaflamingo said:

Have you cruised to Japan on other lines? 

What does that matter. Are we now comparing Regent to the lesser cruise lines? Is that now the bar for Regent? If so, maybe they are performing to the new expectations some people have for Regent.

[pappy1022]

On 11/2/2023 at 10:51 AM, mnocket said:

WOW  My first Regent cruise is next month.  Maybe my expectations are set too high.  

Yes, I would temper your expectations especially with the steaks and lobsters. For those items, Compass Rose was far superior to Prime. Go figure. I would assume they use the same steak and lobster. Given all the COVID excuses given for Regent failures at service, maybe that’s the reason for these issues as well. The food is very good in general and we enjoyed most of our meals but definitely not 5+ star and certainly not comparable to higher end steak houses on land. But they do have expensive plates to serve their food on.

[pappy1022]

Let me say that in totality I did very much enjoy my recent cruise to the British Isles on Regent. There will always be some things that don’t go as well as we expect, especially for the bar we have all set for Regent cruises and the money we pay to sail with them. I will agree that Regent isn’t what it once was, as far service, food, etc. but it is still a very good experience. There were some examples of the exemplary service and food mixed in, to let us know what is possible and what it used to be. The inconsistency is what has changed. And I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t mention again that Destination Services is the Achilles heel for Regent. They didn’t seem to care and they would never accept responsibility for issues that they directly caused. I guess I would say that they were consistent throughout our cruise and that went from the manager throughout the entire team.

[LewiLewi]

On 10/30/2023 at 2:07 AM, many cruises said:

When every Japanese tour was poor for the reasons discussed above, it is not a problem caused by Covid.  The one good tour we took was in Busan, Korea.  The guides’ English was clear and easy to understand.  When you pay over 30k for a cruise, your excuses are ridiculous.  If Regent cannot supply what the customer paid for, they should eliminate that cruise.
 

As you stated, the Explorer is not a good fit for us.  We like cruise lines that stand behind their product, where you get what you pay for.  

 

On 10/29/2023 at 11:32 PM, many cruises said:

This is our first Regent Cruise to Japan.
Positives:

great room steward

nice (but dated) cabins

 

Negatives:

*Pre-cruise tours chaotic

*Couldn’t understand the Japanese pre-cruise tour guides
*Couldn’t hear the Japanese pre-cruise tour guides

*Complaints from many about all Japan Tours

 

Regent is supposedly the top cruise line.  This is shocking to us because we did not experience unrivaled luxury.  How can the top cruise line have tours where every guide (except in Busan, Korea) has problems communicating in English?  Regent is very aware of these problems with their Japanese Tours, but they continue to book these cruises and act like everything is top notch.  They blame the shut down due to Covid for not having proper guides, yet they continue to take our money regardless.  Maybe they shouldn’t be cruising to Japan if they cannot provide tours where you can understand and hear the guides?  

We were on the Explorer from Sept. 20 till Oct. 9, Vancouver to Tokyo, and had the same problem with Japanese tour guides. We could not understand them, the tours were not good; one guide actually read from a script the entire time. She did not understand English at all, and could not answer any questions. 

[papaflamingo]

2 hours ago, pappy1022 said:

What does that matter. Are we now comparing Regent to the lesser cruise lines? Is that now the bar for Regent? If so, maybe they are performing to the new expectations some people have for Regent.

I was just curious.  The OP says  "How can the top cruise line have tours where every guide (except in Busan, Korea) has problems communicating in English?"  I was wondering if other cruise lines have the same issues or not.  Seems like a fair question, doesn't it?   

[2guysabz]

1 hour ago, LewiLewi said:

 

We were on the Explorer from Sept. 20 till Oct. 9, Vancouver to Tokyo, and had the same problem with Japanese tour guides. We could not understand them, the tours were not good; one guide actually read from a script the entire time. She did not understand English at all, and could not answer any questions. 

We have had 2 tours so far and the guides have had excellent English and been very gracious. Can’t fault that in our experience although have other reasons to fault Regent.