Refurbished Voyager versus Explorer

My husband and I are considering sailing on either the September 28, 2017 Rome to Venice cruise on the Voyager or the August 21, 2017 Copenhagen to Stockholm cruise. Obviously the itineraries are quite different, but we are wondering how the refurbished Voyager compares to the Explorer. We sailed on the Explorer this past September and loved it, particularly the overall spaciousness of the ship.The only other Regent ship we have been on is the Navigator. It's a privilege to sail on any Regent ship, but I wonder if it would be a bit of a let down to sail on the Voyager after having sailed on the Explorer.

Your question is thought provoking for sure. Our favorite ship for years was the Voyager and our least favorite ship was the Navigator. We find the Explorer to be heads above the other Regent ships. And, for better or worse, even the Voyager will not match the Explorer.

Having said that, the Voyager lower level suites ("G" and "H") are dramatically better than on the Explorer. The food on the Voyager should be as good as on the Explorer (although Pacific Rim is only on the Explorer). The spaciousness of the Explorer is unmatched but the ship is the largest in the fleet.

So, now, the Voyager is our second favorite ship. After our next Explorer cruise (our 4th), due to itineraries, we will go back to the Voyager and Mariner for a while. When the itineraries for the 2nd half of 2018 come out tomorrow, we will check out the Explorer itineraries first and then the Voyager.

Not sure if this helped. I do think that you would enjoy the Voyager - she is an amazing ship!

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I am fairly new to Cruise Critic and I have repeatedly been drawn to your comprehensive and insightful posts.

I know the living areas of the Voyager suites were redecorated. Do you know if the bathrooms were gutted or just "refreshed?" I will call Regent to ask, but I suspect that I will not necessarily get a straight answer.

No change to cabin bathrooms (at least nothing noticeable to ours). Public restrooms completely gutted and replaced, quite nicely done - but I didn't use them all so can't say if all of them were redone.

I can't answer the question in-depth like TC did since I haven't sailed on Explorer yet, nor have I been on Voyager since her latest refurb...BUT...I don't believe the bathrooms were gutted, but IMO then didn't need to be. The bathrooms on Voyager were marble and well laid out, we've sailed on her twice and haven't had any complaints.

Sailing on Voyager after Explorer may be a letdown in the dining arena since there's no Pacific Rim, but as far as décor and service I think you'll be fine. We were on Navigator right after her refit last year and although she's the smallest of the Regent fleet we thought the look and feel of the ship were amazing. I missed the Connoisseur Club, but that was a minor issue.

My wife and I are booked on Explorer in April and July so we'll be able to give you more info, but I'm guessing you'll have decided on an itinerary well before that. Whichever ship you choose, I'm sure you'll have a great cruise. Enjoy!

:D