parallax

I think they can provide UTH if people are interested.  You can take out chips as a room charge.  There is no extra cost in doing so.

The BJ table was $25 on our cruise. 

I wish I had known that when we were on the cruise.  We did provide additional tips to those who provided exceptional services.  

I will preface this by saying that we never have been on Regent.  However, soon our kiddo will be heading off to college and we will have more flexibility to travel.  Therefore, we were very interested in the Grandeur and the cruise line in general.  Our travel agent was able to get us on a tour.  It encompassed a walkthrough of the public spaces, viewing several of the different types of cabins available and lunch.  We thought the ship was stunning.  The Compass Rose restaurant was beautiful, as well as Pacific Rim.  Explora's restaurants while very well designed, had a little less style in our mind.  One strange aspect is that the Atrium's ceiling on Grandeur rose to the top of the ship.  It looked like a giant white wall rising 6/7 stories.  We thought the Atrium or Lobby in the Explora had a nicer design and seemed more elegant.  The main pool on the Grandeur was very nice but the aft plunge pool, if you really can call it that,  does not compare to what one can find on the Explora.   If pools are important to you, the Explora wins hands down.  The spas facilities on both ships are very nice but we liked the facilities on the Explora slightly more.  The salt room on the Explora was a big draw for us.

On the Grandeur, we saw the different top level suites and they were beautiful and well appointed.  The concierge suites had a very nice layout and were over 400 sq ft. The one category of rooms we found somewhat disappointing was the veranda suite and the deluxe veranda suite.   The storage in the veranda suite was somewhat lacking.  The biggest issue for both categories of suites is that they had an extremely small bathroom.  I thought the base level suites on the Explora were nicer.  One last note on the suites.  Regent told us what type of champagne that each category of suites received.  For penthouse and above,  the customer received Veuve Clicquot.  On Explora, we received Veuve for our basic ocean terrace suite.  Dom was provided to certain upper level cabins.

Finally, the one thing that jumped out to me about the Grandeur is that the ceilings seemed to be very low in some areas and the passage ways to seem somewhat narrower that one would find on a cruise ship.  I'm 5'11"  and I kept on looking up because my head was closer to some of the fixtures than I'm use to.

Overall, the Grandeur was a stunning ship and I'm sure one day we will try Regent.  I think the Grandeur is more traditional in design and would be a comforting to traditionalist cruisers.  I'm more partial to the more modern looking Explora and their somewhat different spin on luxury cruising.   

15 hours ago, frankhi said:

Thanks for the review. I have my first EJ cruise coming up in 3 weeks (and 3 more EJ after that, the sale was just to good). What restaurants should I make reservations for ahead of time?

On Friday, we disembarked from Explora's Christmas Cruise.  It was everything we hoped it would be.  There food was great, service was impeccable and we met interesting fellow passengers and crew members.  Two days in, we booked one cruise in 2024 and have an option for another one in 2025.  Since I'm tecnically still on vacation, I'm too lazy to write a comprehensive report. Instead, I will just list things that are of front of mind.

• The number of passengers on the ship is somewhat of a mystery.  I was told by one crew member that there were 600 people on the ship.  Another officer said there were 700.  It is my understanding that kids were not always calculated into the count.  My best guess is that the ship was 3/4 full.  It sounded like the NYE cruise was almost at capacity.  The staff did say it was the busiest sailing yet.  
• A fuller ship did not impact service.  Service was top notch and akin to what you would receive on Crystal.  I was extremely impressed at the level of service.  I found that the bartenders appreciated the opportunity to show off their skills.  I would talk about the drink profiles I like and let the come up with a drink.  I came home with an expanded cocktail list. 
• The food was exceptional.  Med Yacht Club was the only place that had some problems.  We went there on the second night and the food was slow on arriving and the food was a tad cold, especially the dover sole.   In talking to fellow passengers, it sounds like they had similar problems on Christmas Eve.  We went the last night and everything was perfect.  
• Sakura is fantastic and is better than Umi Uma in my mind.  It is the hotest restaurant on the ship and hard to get second reservations.
• The Marketplace is the best buffet in the cruise industry.  I loved the options and the quality of the food.  We went there for dinner and enjoyed the grilled seafood immensely.  There are wonderful outdoor spaces to eat but hardly anyone ever used them.
• The internet is fabulous.  You can stream videos.  I saw people watching football games on their phones and tablets.
• We played a couple of nights in the casino and it was very popular.  For BJ players, the minimum was $25.    They would rate your play and you could use the free play obtained in one of the slots.  It was interesting to note that several families that typically cruise on Crystal during the holidays did not do so because there was no casino.
• The Rolex Store was a busy as busy can be.  My wife ended up getting a Rolex and so did many other passengers. I do not know much about watches (not my interest) but it is my understanding they had availability that you cannot usually find in the States.
• If you love an Old Fashioned, go see Darryl at the Whiskey Bar and he will provide you a show and a great drink.
• We were in a base level suite and we had plenty of room and storage.  Our room attendant was fabulous.  We had two adults and teenager in the room.  She slept on a rollaway and found it to be very comfortable.
• There are so many pools on the ship and so there is no challenge in finding a lounger in a prime localtion.  We preferred to sit at the Atoll Pool.   The staff was fabulous and we were one level below the Marketplace.
•  The Kids' Club was amazing.  My daughter had a wonderful time.  On Christmas Day, Santa came to visit.  The younger kids received a very nice Lego set.  The older kids received Beats Headphones. Even kids who didn't go see Santa had these gifts waiting in their rooms. 
•  The fact that they do not have a loyalty club up and running is annoying.  It is unclear why there is a delay. 
• The daily program is very barebones.  One needs to use the QR code at the program to get additional information.
• We found the entertainment to be very good but not great.  The tribute to Billy Joel was bizzare.  They played some more obscure songs and the order was perplexing.  It needs fine tuning.  
• Our take away from the cruise is that it was almost perfect. As people in our early 50s, we are less interested in the more formal or more traditional approaches to cruising.  If one is looking for the same structure you can find at other luxury cruise lines, it might not be right for you.  However, if one has an open mind, then you can have a great time.

I'm happy to answer any questions.  I will also share my thoughts on the Granduer vs. Explora, as we had an opportunity to visit the Granduer the day before boarding the Explora.  These will be more observations than anything else.   

I’m on the cruise and almost everyone we talked to loves Explora and will be back again.  The day before we boarded we toured the Regent Granduer and we  both thought it was a beautiful ship. The one thing we didn’t like on the Granduer was that the corridors seemed narrow and the ceilings were very low. My wife was worried that Explora would not meet her expectations after seeing the Granduer. She was blown away in the first 10 minutes on the ship.  We have booked two more cruises.   We love the service, the food is amazing and the layout of the ship is perfect for us.  The smoked old fashioned at the Whiskey Bar is part of my nightly routine.  There are some minor kinks that need to worked out but they had no impact on our cruise.

We will be on this cruise.  Two adults and one 16 year old.  

I will be on the Christmas sailing.  I will try to post on a daily basis.  The day before we are going on a tour of the RSSC Granduer while in port. 

Great to hear that things are going so well.

Several years ago my daughter, who was 10 at the time, went on Crystal.  They had a small club for the children.  It is still her favorite cruise of all time.  They did fun activities, the staff treated her like royalty and she loved all the food options.  Our daughter has been on several of the mass market cruise lines and while she has enjoyed these cruises, she has found many of the child friendly activities disappointing due to the waiting in lines, the crowds, limited times, etc.  She is now 16 and we will be on Explora next month.  I'm not sure how active she will be in the club but  she likes it as an option, even if it just to initially meet kids around her age.   

I just checked in for our December cruise with new issues.  Sounds like I was lucky.  😀

We are cruising on Explora in December.  If we enjoy the cruise, we may book another onboard  Does anyone know what perks, discounts, etc. one receives if booking onboard?  They haven't rolled out there new loyalty club so there is little information on what perks passengers may receive.  

I went to Alinea this summer and the cost was well worth it.  Depending on the feedback, I may try Anthology.  

This article provides decent insight to Anthology and the new chef who will be coming onboard.  https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/explora-i-switches-up-its-onboard-michelin-starred-chef-a-live-preview-from-new-york-city-s-aquavit.  I would interested to get one's insight.  We will be on Explora in December.  

I am part of Explora's target audience.  My definition of luxury is very different than some members of this board and I welcome less formality.  As an attorney, I had to wear suits for many years. When I went to work for a Silicon Valley company that all changed and I am grateful.  Outside a wedding, funeral or a very special occasion, I will not wear a suit.  When on a cruise, I will look presentable and comply with the dress code.  I do not care if fellow passengers think I taking the way from the elegance of the cruise because I do not wear a jacket and tie with my outfit.  

Not at all.  I will try it in December.  There were always going to be initial bumps in the road and hopefully they will make improvements where needed.  

We have always found the first night for dinner in the YC a little of a mess.  Everyone comes to dinner at one time, the staff is trying to get into the swing of things and the first menu is usually the least interesting of the week.  As a result, we have been doing Butcher's Cut.  It is a more relaxful experience and it usually very slow the first night.  The food is very good.  

I tend to be a roll with a punches type of person.  I understand tha everything is not going to be perfect on a cruise.  However, if his happened to me and I received this sort of response, I would be livid.  I feel for he OP.  We have a 12 night cruise booked on the Oosterdam next year in a Neptune Suite.  This is giving me pause.  If there are plumbing issues that are endemic to the ship, why take the risk?  Plus, if this is how they are going to respond, why give HAL my hard earned money?

I'm in the target demo for once.  However, the wife says that my sense of humor is that of a 12 year old. If true, I'm fortunate it is not an adults only cruiseline. 

It is a personal decision.  I find the staff to be excellent and often provide additional gratuities.  Providing a staff member an extra $50 or $100 is not going to be any skin off my back but I know it can beneficial to the family that person is supporting at home.   

This is another nice video.

I believe I read that in one of Keith's post.  We tend to purchase suites on larger cruise ships.  We find it to be a refuge.  On luxury cruise lines, we are less interested in the suite.  We can find multiple places to relax.  The challenge with Crystal is that their balcony cabins are on the smaller side and the storage is llimited.  While we are not in the cabin that much on a Crystal ship, we feel like we are on top of each other.  I would assume that the new ships would have balcony cabins around 300 SQ FT.  That would be a much more ideal for us.  

I think this is overkill.  I don't know how one can have such a strong opinion at this stage.  If you have ever been on a maiden voyage or an early cruise, issues are going to pop up.  This happens to all cruise lines.  Things are not going to be seemless.  My hope is all the passengers are having a good time even though there have been missteps that need to be corrected.  

What is the old military adage that a plan does not not survive first contact with the enemy.   I have been on early cruises where there has been some chaos.  It takes time to find footing.  The key is how Explora addresses issues in the short and long term.