Portolan

Correct, the Pool Grill dinner option was discontinued due (I heard) lack of utilization.

And to complement Marc's answer about the times: Compass Rose is ala carte and La Veranda is mostly buffet, but with some cooked to order options via your server (like omelets and other types of eggs).

We, and our TA, have never been notified of port time changes in advance. Cancelled ports, yes, but arrival and departure times, no. Most recently I discovered a later departure than originally scheduled when I saw that I could sign up for an excursion which would return after the original scheduled departure time (but was OK since the departure was delayed).

And if, perchance, the non-use of a smart phone doesn't extend to tablets like iPads or Kindles which have a camera, take a picture of the paper copy program. I don't like carrying around the paper copy, but always have my Kindle (and phone on which I also take a picture). There are also a few copies of each day's programs around the ship (reception and bars) to refresh your memory.

She was in good shape. You could see small things that needed painting. The carpeting actually looked fine. Certainly, there was nothing which detracted from our enjoyment. We'll reap the benefits of the refresh--and really looking forward to the Starlink--since we'll be on Explorer next January and August.

May 2023 is what I was told on board her in March.

Just our view on this: We often book our international flights using miles, and will even do so before the Regent Air option opens (now at 210 days prior), so about 330 days out, we have a good plan. Then, I will ask our TA to get the Regent option(s) including exactly matching what we already have booked with miles. Since I can do the math WRT the value of the miles and the lack of mileage earning on award flights versus the Regent Air solution (including any surcharges for the flights we want), it is mostly a simple economic decision. If close, we'll use the Regent option since: 1) no deviation fee as Platinum 2) transfer to/from the ship are included 3) not our problem if Regent, for some reason cancels the cruise Travel these days is a game. Since we're retired, we have time to devote to the game which isn't so much to win as to not lose...

In the numerous Regent cruises we've taken since they announced the use of the app with your own phone and ear buds, NONE have used this capability. This is perhaps the only area where Viking beats Regent hands down. On Viking, each suite has a recharging stand that keeps the mobile devices always ready to go. Especially when visiting museums where the guides can't raise their voices, these devices are invaluable.

OK, I stand corrected. Also, perhaps aging memory, but I'll swear it used to be the other parties booking number since I've always had our traveling companions' suite number at hand, but (thought I) recall having to ask them for the booking number.

I'd just go ahead and try it now. Your friends already have a booking number. The reason they can't book a restaurant now is that it isn't available to them on-line through their account. However, you can book now and when it asks for the other booking number, I think there is a strong possibility it'll work. Lots of indications about Regent's IT works suggest they opt for the easiest solution, i.e., blocking your friends from booking now themselves, but not checking status of those you add. As I recall when we've done this with others with lesser status, I don't recall a problem.

Stools at back on Explorer as well. WRT when you can book, it has been as early as shortly before you can book excursions but more recently it seems to be at the same time. Shows up on the same tab as excursion, but at the bottom...not very obvious until you've done it once. Just an FYI, there is no discount for higher tier cruisers as there is for excursions...$89/pp for all. We average 2 classes every time we're on Explorer or Splendor (or, soon, Grandeur). They are a lot of fun. Cooking is easy when someone preps all the ingredients! Most classes are offered twice: 10 AM and 4 PM. They provide the equivalent of a meal so plan your other dining that day accordingly.

And, as I mentioned in another thread less likely to be found WRT drydocks, the dry dock for Explorer is for "freshening" (i.e, carpeting, painting and the like) plus adding Starlink according to crew on-board in March.

Scheduled for Explorer on its upcoming drydock in Vancouver this spring per conversation with the crew in March.

As Irishwitchy notes, nobody cares about your arrangements as much as you should. If you rely on Regent providing timely information, or your TA (and ours is excellent, but she has other customers), you won't be staying immediately on top of things. Others may know differently, but I'd be surprised if Regent would notify about an equipment or seat change. If the arrangements get you from the correct place to place and at about the same time, then they probably don't see this as an urgent notification. Especially on equipment or seat changes, I like to be the first to notice because I'm very picky about the seat assignments and want to have first shot at the new options. So, I do a quick scan of all our upcoming air trips daily. Takes no more than a couple of minutes since, for United at least, I can get a page with all flights listed and any changes will be highlighted. But then I treat travel as a game which, if played well, is OK to great and if not can be terrible.

The cost will be refunded to your shipboard account. Then it gets a bit tricky because if it was the only use of some non-refundable on-board credits (OBC, like those from a Regent promotion), then if not reused it'll be lost at the end of the cruise. If you've fully used all your non-refundable OBC not including this excursion (i.e., you paid for it with new money at some point) then it will be refunded to the original form of payment at the end of the cruise. Regent has made this much clearer in their on-board accounting within the last couple of years. Your account (via the suite TV) will list the running total of any unused non-refundable OBC...those are the use or lose $$. Ideally, you want to have that amount = $0 at the end of the cruise. Any on-board expenses (shops, spa, fancy wines...anything other than the casino) will reduce the non-refundable amount. There is no provision to carry it over to another cruise.

I think many or most of us use credit cards that earn airline miles or points. Many cards are associated with a specific airline while others may earn points which can be transferred to multiple airlines or used to purchase tickets directly. Especially given the high costs for cruises, these points/miles can add up. Bottom line is that if a credit card earns something based on the amount you spend, they'll reclaim that bonus for any refund made to the card.

Another aspect to this policy is that if you have a refundable credit at the end of the cruise, you might want to take it in cash. Otherwise, the credit will be refunded to the original credit card used...and you'll have the miles/points earned taken away.

I don't think there has been a small Gold-Platinum-Titanium event for a very long time. People are achieving status faster that they are dying. We had a number of memorable events as Gold circa 2006, but now as Platinum (for example, last week on Explorer) they are events with a special cast presentation in the theater to accommodate the very large number of G-P-T. Not even asked for suite number, so no problem in taking <Gold. Admittedly self-serving, but it'd be great if Regent had this type of event for Gold, and the previous really special events for P-T-C. Like our G-P-T nighttime cocktails in the courtyard of the Celsus Library at Ephesus circa 2006 (the whole ship was invited to the subsequent concert in the theater at Ephesus). That WAS a special event!

For completeness, here's a brief summary of our excursions after Naze: Okinawa: Ms. Portolan did the "Bingata Experience" and enjoyed it. She did a bird painting/dying where after the painting is done, the paint has to thoroughly dry and then later you wash it so that much of the paint washes off which won't happen until we get home. I did the "Battle of Okinawa" which focused on memorial sites (think Vietnam Memorial, but with 350k names of Japanese soldiers (150k), Okinawan civilians (150k) and US military (50k)) and the extensive underground HQ of the Japanese Navy. Very sobering and worthwhile. Day at sea: A second Culinary Kitchen, "Wok & Roll", where we made fried rice (using cauliflower, surprisingly similar to actual rice), springs rolls and Pad Thai. Great fun, as usual. Kochi: Ms. Portolan did the "Japanese Papermaking Experience.". The actual papermaking took very little time with not much to do while it dried. The bridge mentioned in the description wasn't very interesting, but it also rained much of the day which didn't help. Not recommended except as shelter from the rain. I did the Regent Choice "Ryugado Caves & Kochi Castle" which was very enjoyable, but again nothing which distinguished the excursion from "free" excursions except the unique combination of two interesting sites. Kochi Castle was beautiful since (finally) surrounded by blooming cherry trees. The cave was wet (meaning still forming features)...in fact, very wet due to a raging underground river running through it. You only get dripped upon. Quite arduous since you climb about 12 stories as you go through the cave. Also some low duck-walking if you are 6'-1". But, overall a great excursion. Shimizu: We did the Regent Choice "Fish Market & Kunozan Toshogu Shrine w/lunch.". The shrine was interesting, but the fish market wasn't. Not a " wet" market, with almost everything shrink-wrapped for sale. The lunch was nice enough, but at $179/pp, we'd recommend other tours which went to the shrine and pass on the market and lunch. The visit to the wet fish market in Busan , though brief, was more interesting with lots of live critters. Again, I'll mention that we had mixed feelings about why some of our tours were extra-cost Regent Choice when not particularly distinguished from the included tours. We have come to think of the excursions, en masse, of having the total cost we paid versus the total enjoyment. All were worthwhile except the last one in Shimizu, and the papermaking experience. In the net, some very memorable experiences!

NO one on our departure 2 weeks ago was asked to provide their results per much discussion earlier in this thread. Obviously the situation changes all the time. We boarded in Tokyo, not Yokohama, so maybe that was a factor???

We spent today on a private tour of Kamakura which also got us picked up at the ship and dropped off at the Hilton Odaiba for an overnight before flying home tomorrow. WRT your questions: we didn't get yen at the airport. We had a prepaid private transfer (we came in a day ahead of the prep cruise program start). Tipped in dollars...no problem. Got yen from a bank ATM about a block from the Hilton. As a general principle, we only use bank ATMs. There is a non-bank ATM in the Hilton Lobby. Got 30000 yen (about $230) which lasted the trip with about 8k to spare which will be used against the hotel cost. That covered all minor expenses. Only consequential costs were at a store (bottle of whiskey) and a shop (ceramic chopstick holders) which were charged. We have AT&T cell service which means free WiFi calling when on a network...even the very slow service on board. Never use the cell phones for anything routine as we have a ridiculous amount of ship-to-shore phone time so we use that when needed. Off the ship, if we have to make or receive a call or use the Internet, it's a flat rate of $10/day which includes data. Never did that this trip. As you mentioned, I use Google off-line maps. BTW, Explorer has a dry dock coming after in reaches Vancouver (May/June-ish) and they'll be installing Starlink which ought to provide a vast improvement. All Regent ships getting Starlink "by this summer." Tipping: you'll find by searching that by and large, Japan doesn't expect tipping except (maybe) for extraordinary service. We weren't sure about this, but noted on our excursions that the guides were typically standing back from the bus door with open and empty hands. On those occasions when we tipped (for extraordinary service), the recipients seemed genuinely startled.

Update since Beppu: Usaki Stone Buddhas & Village (Regent Choice) - very good. While several excursions had stone Buddha (singular) in their description, our excursion went to an area where there were ~60 stone Buddhas carved in groups up the side of a valley. Now protected from the elements with open-sided structures. Our guide had quite detailed descriptions about the significance of each group. Highly recommend this excursion though see my comment below about the inconsistency of Regent Choice excursions. Day at sea: Culinary Kitchen "Taste the World" - 5 dishes in 2 hours! Tuna Tataki, Pho soup, spicy peanut shrimp, lamb chop and crepes. Great fun! Busan: "Highlights of Gyeongju & Busan" - a bit of a drive to Gyeongju, but rewarded with a detailed tour of an extensive mountainside temple complex. Included lunch was a nice buffet at a modern hotel, including some Korean specialties. Then a stop (still in Gyeongju) at a very large ara of hill tombs, one of which you can enter. These never had post-burial entrances, but the modern entrance gets you to the heart of the tomb. They have excavated (and restored to their original grass-covered hills) many of these tombs and found extraordinary artifacts, replicas of which are displayed in the hill tomb you enter. Then back to Busan to a city overlook and finally a walk through the fish market. Excellent excursion...and free! Jeju Island: "Sunrise Peak & Seongeup Folk Village" - rained all day and we got thoroughly drenched despite raincoats and umbrellas so experience greatly diminished, but we think this would have been quite a nice excursion on a nice day. Nagasaki: "The Splendor of Arita & Nagasaki" (Regent Choice) - quite a long drive to Arita, a village totally devoted to ceramics. The local shrine we visited was completely decked out in beautiful ceramics. A local alley was also decorated with kiln stones. Lots of shops selling ceramics both used & inexpensive and extremely expensive works of art. Lunch was a very authentic Japanese meal with a ceramic (of course) bento box and sashimi holder. Restaurant was nicely done up with Tatami mats...but, fortunately, chairs as well. Wine and beer included...the beer was described by the guide in advance as a "small" bottle. It was 500ml! Last stop in Arita was a museum of ceramics masterpieces including one which was awarded a gold medal in Paris in 1900. Finally, back to Nagasaki for a visit to the Peace Park which, of course, is something we needed to do. An excellent excursion. Naze: No excursion for us. We had booked the one Regent Choice offering and were notified when we boarded that it had been cancelled because the operator didn't have enough buses/guides/something to run it. As an earlier post noted, everything else was waitlisted and we were told that there was no ability to add capacity. I noted that when the excursions departed there were just 7 buses compared to 18 or more I'd seen at earlier ports. There was a shuttle bus into town and another to a beach. Given that it rained most of the morning, I figured I'd go into town (where the map had little to indicate things to see). It did show a shrine up a valley into the mountains so I walked a mile or so up a paved path/roadway. Never found the shrine, but the valley was filled with cemeteries. Then the thunderstorm started so, for the second time, I returned to the ship sopping wet from the waist down. Now my comment about Regent Choice excursions. It's hard to understand why something like the Stone Buddhas in Beppu were RC. It was not long or distant, didn't include a meal or food, had entrance fees similar to other sites in Japan (600 yen ish), and wasn't a small group. We still recommend it, but why was it RC? Compared to our Busan excursion which had a much longer full-day bus and guide required, plus a meal. Nagasaki...well, wine or beer were included with lunch which were extra on the regular excursions where lunch was included. And, yea, a very nice traditional lunch, but we had a similar lunch on an earlier non-RC excursion. But, like our criteria for choosing cruises, we pick the itinerary, not the cost.

Our Nagoya excursion, Inuyama Castle and Noritake China, did not include lunch. It was 5 hours long and ran from 11:45 AM to 4:45 PM. Maybe you are on a similar, but longer excursion. We were able to grab a quick bite of lunch at the pool Grill before our excursion.

A short update: headed to Beppu (Stone Buddha's for us) today. Solid overcast, temperature in the mid-50's, but very low probability of rain. This after 3 days of castles and shrines. In Nagoya, the first day after Tokyo, we went to the Inuyama Castle (oldest surviving castle in Japan) which was interesting in design and you could climb what were essentially ship's ladders (think very steep staircases) with low headroom (I'm 6'-1") to the top. Well worth it to see how these towers were constructed and for the view. Then on to the Noritake China factory. Interesting but the castle was the highlight. Castles in Japan are usually surround ed by moats (Inuyama wasn't) on high ground with a multi-tiered tower for observation. Hard to see how these were useful after th advent of muskets and canons. The next two days were at Kobe (as in beef) with an over night. First day we did the Highlights of Osaka. Two stops: Osaka Castle (much bigger than Inuyama, but rebuilt many times into the mid-20 th century) with again the ability to go to the top aided by an elevator for the first 5 of 8 floors added in 1931 when the tower was rebuilt having totally destroyed much earlier. Museum exhibits and dioramas on many of the interior levels. Second stop was Shitennoji, a large temple compound dominated by a classic 5-story pagoda. All of it rebuild many times over the years since 1) made of wood, and 2) WWII. Overall, a pleasant enough tour. The second day in Kobe, we did Highlights of Kyoto. It was 2-1/2 hours through rush-hour traffic. Likely would be the case any week-day. First stop was the Golden Pavilion, a lake side temple with the upper (wood) stories covered in gilt. Surrounded by formal gardens. Well designed route past the pavilion with many vantage points and then through the gardens which kept the large crowds moving in an orderly manner. Then the included lunch which was a very nice bento box meal with authentic Japanese delicacies including sashimi. Final stop was the Hijo Castle, a very large complex with a sprawling "palace" and elaborate gardens. Despite what the excursion description said, there wasn't time to go into the buildings, but exploring the grounds was still quite interesting. We'd received a letter from Destination Services exposing that there wouldn't be an interior visit. The return to the ship, again during rush-hour, was surprisingly just 90 minutes. And as we are arriving in Beppu, there is a patch of sun directly over the town.

Things are off to a good start. After 4 days of overcast skies and one of those quite rainy in Tokyo, the sun came out as we boarded...a good omen. The pre-cruise program was OK and provided some time to (start to) get over jet lag. The hotel was nice with nicely furnished rooms, but as you'd heard, big and busy. We ate in the hotel which has quite a spectrum of restaurants. We liked Dynasty, the Chinese themed venue. The other nights we weren't very hungry and had drinks and light meals in 2 of the bars: Zatta which we enjoyed and St. Georges which was supposed to be an English pub (it wasn't). Both had live music in the evening. As others have noted, there are restaurants in Shinjuku, but they aren't very obvious from the street, so plan in advance and don't wander around expecting to come across one you'd like. In Nagoya yesterday and appearing likely for the rest of the cruise we had our original passports examined thoroughly and matched to our ship card both getting off and reboarding. They also searched bags going ashore, presumably for food. Both the need to be carrying original passports and no food ashore were stressed by the ship in advance.