Pies4u

Having just returned from an Explorer cruise I can tell you that the new production cast provide top class entertainment.  They joined the ship the same  day as us, in Venice, and we saw them perform 6 times in 20 days.  2 of the new shows, "World Rhythyms" and "Paradis" are spectacular and the singers and dancers are all exceptionally talented, (some more than others of course). Overall, I would say they were, by far, the best on board production cast we've seen in 25 years and about 16 cruises.  Didn't care for the 60's "My Revolution" show - that had too much dialogue, some obscure song choices and not enough iconic 60's hits for me. We, and several others we spoke to, just expected more from that show. It is technicaly superb but just lacks something extra.

We also had David Nevin as ACD, he puts on a great show too, we went to it twice!  The rest of the entertainment varied but there was tremendous variety and there were some really good visiting acts - notably a violinist, a magician and a comedian who were all worth going to see.

Around the ship varied greatly but Ross Ranallo was in the Obs lounge, 3rd time in 4 cruises for us, and he is brilliant.  We did miss Nature's Rhythym - who we have seen on 2 previous cruises, there is simply nothing to compare with them for sheer fun, entertainment and musical variety and the other lounges were virtually empty every time we went past tbh. The orchestra often appeared in the Meridian lounge for dancing, (not for us!) and we had a duo, who were capable but lacked charisma and never seemed to attract a big crowd, ok for 20/30 mins but that was it really.

Generally, we quite like Regent entertainment despite the reputation that smaller ships have for such things - there is a choice of venues, there is variety on offer and there are some excellent performers - on a moving ship.  I'm ok with all of that. No real complaints other than whoever designed the Explorer Lounge must have been blindfolded at the time - that room is a disaster from start to finish. 

Overall

We have just returned from 20 days on Explorer - our second cruise on this ship. We have also been on both Mariner and Voyager.

In terms of suite/bathroom sizes etc, opulence and grandeur Explorer wins comfortably but in respect of overall layout, design and general ambience then I much prefer the other 2 ships tbh.  I still find it ridiculous that Explorer has no outside forward area beyond the pool nor any aft facing lounge.  The Explore lounge itself is dark, unwelcoming and depressing and far too compact if there happens to be any popular entertainment happening in there. It is also almost impossible to see anything anyway due to the strange layout with seats facing away from the stage area and huge pillars in the room!  Of course the speciality restaurants on Explorer are impressive - well, P7 & Pacific Rim are but Chartreuse, yet again, failed to impress with unimaginative and fairly bland/tasteless food and poor service on the desk on arrival. Well, no service at all to be quite frank - an unattended desk both times we ate in there, which is pretty shoddy. Contrast that with PR - where the service is beyond reproach every time - and we ate in there 5 times.

Despite not having all the trappings and finery, Voyager is still a lovely ship (we loved it in SE Asia in April 2018) and we'll get to see Mariner again in November whilst cruising around South America. Explorer. Can't wait - but would be cautious about booking Explorer again tbh.  It is only the exceptional staff that we'd miss.

We will be in an Horizon View suite, indeed 991, in Nov/Dec - Lima to B Aires. Looking forward to it, having taken our 1st Regent cruise in 2015 in a SS Aft suite on Mariner too. We know the views are fantastic and the extra outside space is valuable to us, we don't go on a cruise to spend time indoors!

We found the design to be odd, walking through a wardrobe/closet to the somewhat small bathroom - but the lounge are was huge and the bedroom was fine.  The bed looks to be "squeezed in a bit tight" in the HV suite but the bathroom, walk in wardrobe and lounge areas look plenty large enough - we'll see.

For info: We had no soot problems on either Mariner or Voyager in aft suites - but we have done midships on Explorer - particularly if you sit on deck 12 near the funnels.  

Glad to hear that Ross is on board. He is a great guy, very friendly and we enjoyed listening to him most evenings when we were on our first 2 Regent cruises, (Mariner & Explorer).

We also join Explorer in Venice in a couple of weeks - looking forward to spending 20 nights on board. Thanks for the informative updates on this trip, they serve as a handy appetiser ahead of the main course.

Wow! I'm amazed that trivia is such a big issue. As others have said, I have plenty of other things to do on a cruise than trying to win enough points for a tee shirt or getting worked up about the others who do.

Each to their own of course, I have no problem with people who wish to participate but I find it odd that one of the main bar/lounge areas is used for trivia during the evening. That sounds a bit restrictive. I'll certainly be avoiding that part of the ship for the duration when we are on board Marina in April 2020., but it somewhat limits your options.

i prefer the Regent format of collecting question sheets, just a handful of q's - 6 max, and answers being given in a small section of a lunge during pm tea. If 20 people participate, that's about the max in our experience. There is nothing really competitive or serious about it but you can win points in the same way. That's fun. What is being described on here - up to 200 people involved - sounds really bizarre to me tbh. That is a major event.

I'd take Lucca over Florence every time, easy to get around & plenty of interesting things to see.  There is also a good Tuscan vineyard and wine tasting visit with lunch included in the tour - terrific day out.

We were on Voyager in April 2018 together with a group of 170 Nissan employees from Mexico on some sort of group incentive.  Occasionally, they were a real nuisance, dominating the pool area and, most evenings, convening in large groups in the bar areas. There were several complaints that others couldn't hear the entertainment due to the constant loud chattering & anti-social raucous laughter etc.

I commented on he issue of allowing such large groups on board but heard nothing back from Regent. I guess they value the groups bookings - but it is a real problem if you encounter it. Hope our Explorer & Mariner trips in April & Nivember respectively are free from such corporate/group nonsense.

We had a SS Aft suite on Voyager - 14 nights HK to Bangkok - no problem at all. Very occasionally, and only  at high speed, there was some short term mild vibration. I am extremely susceptible to noise & motion and I was not affected, it was barely noticeable.  In contrast, we were recently on another line (P & O - Arcadia) where we experienced 4 days & nights of really irritating engine noise & a dreadful vibration in an aft suite. It was only at high speeds again but it was constant for those 4 sea days until the ship slowed down or was in port!

Having read the comments on here about Voyager we were very concerned - without reason, as it turned out. I think these things are relative, we would book aft suites on Voyager again without hesitation.

I acknowledge the concerns expressed re: hygiene - but - it is the irritating habit of people drinking in hot tubs and/or hogging them for 30 mins plus that annoys me. Some people treat shipboard facilities as tho' they are their own, private commodities. Selfish and thoughtless in my view. 

I still can't believe cruise lines allow folks to take drinks in a hot tub, the risks of spillage or breakage are high and I certainly don't want to share a tub with bits of plastic & somebody else's booze.

Having said all that, I recognise that the problems encountered are less common on Regent, where we have only seen a few people sitting for an hour or so and making the hot tub a "no go" area for others. It happened on Voyager in April a handful of tImes but is more frequently observed in hotel hot tubs in my experience.

The health risks associated with sitting in hot tubs for extended periods, let alone the germ factor, are also a concern.

Sadly, the infinity pool and surrounding area are a real disappointment in my view. The space is too small and clsustrophobic. The whole spa area is a poorly thought out and badly designed aspect of the ship.

There is not too much wrong with Explorer but the lack of any outside forward space, no aft facing lounge & the small, uninspiring spa/pool area are 3 fairly obvious examples of flawed design.

We've sailed on 3 so far but not on Navigator. Further cruises booked on Mariner & Explorer.

All 3 have been exceptional experiences and it is all about very fine margins, bar a couple if significant issues, in my view. Hard to be too critical if any of the ships, the service, dining and general facilities are all superb.

Mariner is probably the overall favourite, loved the SS Aft suite and particularly liked the deck space, public areas and enjoyed all the dining venues. Explorer excels because of the opulence, grandeur and suite/balcony sizes - plus, it has Pacific Rim, which is an exceptional restaurant by any standards and amongst the best at sea. In the final analysis Mariner just edges it for us due to the forward deck space and soft facing Horizon lounge, something sadly lacking on Explorer, which also has the poorly designed & inadequately sized aft spa area.

Voyager is similar to Mariner but just feels more confined in some areas. The external part of La V/Sette M is very restricted and the SS aft suite was a poor second to the Mariner equivalent.

Amen! Our experience exactly.

.....and ours!

Only been on 2 Regent cruises so far - but have 3 more booked. Voyager next April and then return visits to Explorer and Mariner in April & Nov 2019 respectively.

Still a big fan of Cunard but can't find an itinerary and/or price that suits us for comparable trips.

We have yet to travel on Voyager, which we will remedy next April.

So far, Explorer has been the most luxurious and opulent, plus it has Pacific Rim - quite simply an amazing restaurant with a distinctive and inventive menu,

However, the lack of an aft facing lounge, no outdoor space beyond the pool & the poorly designed spa area/terrace mean that I prefer Mariner tbh. The layout, pool deck, Horizon Lounge and general ambience were better in my view.

Cancelling through ill health is, clearly, a sensitive matter - but that is what travel insurance is for surely?

I've not cancelled a cruise but we had to cancel 2 successive holidays due to bereavement, (mother then mother in law), the insurance compensated us for that accordingly, no problem. We simply re-booked at a later time, 5 weeks in 1 case and a year in the other (New Year event).

The customer loyalty element does work both ways but I have to say that we have always found Regent to be very helpful and accommodating if any difficulties have arisen regarding a booking and/or any amendments to plans have been necessary.

Thanks for responding. Well, after a few days with it not working - despite refreshing it etc - it has now suddenly restored access! I'll monitor it and see if the other tabs all work, the drop down nixies were playing up too. :eek:

Hello. Just wondering if anyone else, particularly in the UK, is experiencing difficulties accessing the "find a cruise" tab/icon on an iPad.

I can get a list of cruises via each respective ship from the "ship" tab but not the full schedule by calendar. I keep getting an "unavailable" message with an apology and instruction to ring the office number.

It is fine on an iPhone or PCV just doesn't work on an iPad.

Is it just me?

Well - we've been around on this one before (when the priority boarding was mooted by Regent some years ago) and I have to say I see nothing wrong with the policy. Just as I see nothing wrong with passengers in Business or First class on a plane having a fast track to clear security and a lounge to sit in to wait for departure. In life you pay more - you normally get more. I haven't taken the time to count exactly how many Master and Grand Suites there are on Explorer - I know there is only 1 Regent Suite. if you figure that each suite involves maybe 2-4 people how many is that that are taking possible table reservations away from the rest of the passengers? Maybe 20? And they cannot eat in ALL the restaurants every night either so would be split among 3 speciality restaurants. Not worth making any fuss over I think.

 

PS - I also think Oceania's system of boarding makes sense... but let's not start that one again!

Gerry

Agreed - 100%, spot on. If you've paid for an exclusive suite then you are entitled to exclusive benefits in my opinion. Why "loyal" customers should see themselves as more important than any potentially "loyal" ones is a complete mystery really. As others have said, if you are satisfied with what you've got why worry what anybody else is getting?

Pity the extra dining perk didn't stretch to 7 Seas suites - we were in one on Explorer and would have loved another evening dining in P7 and Pac Rim, although we did manage a second night in Pac Rim anyway to be fair. You can keep Chartreuse for me, it was dark, we were stuck at the back against a pitch black window, the food was lukewarm and the service was mediocre when we tried it.

Also note that the suite we were in is now classified as an Explorer Suite and is out of our price range, which is bad news. We loved that SS1.

Will be in a SS aft on Voyager next April, that will be an interesting comparison against the same suite on Mariner that we experienced in April 2016 - loved that, separate bedroom and huge lounge/sitting area.

Already had a Hong Kong to Bangkok trip on Voyager lined up for April 2018 - started a roll call thread a long while back but still not much interest, even now, so not sure how a "meet & greet" will go tbh.

Also, just booked 2 further cruises, Explorer - 20 days in the Med in May 2019 and a Sydney to Auckland trip on Voyager for Jan 2020. Think it is a little bit early for roll calls and far too premature to be thinking about meet & greets.

The concept is fine but I'm probably happier with a more casual, informal means of getting acquainted than the spot of "staged" get togethers. It wouldn't be the most essential feature of the cruise experience for me but I am always interested in putting faces to user names. Anyone on Voyager next April - 8 to 22 - have a look at the roll call and we may see you on board. I'll worry about the other 2 trips later.

The site format, layout, graphics etc are all miles better. Overall it is clearer and & more intuitive. So, it looks great & seems to be OK, for the most part, on a pc.

However, the functionality is pretty poor on my iPad, as others have experienced. The drop down boxes for cruise searches are hopeless and it is all a bit clumsy tbh.

I'm just sorry we are coming back from Bangkok with BA, as it is a direct flight.

If possible, I would never fly with them again - dreadful airline, poorly run business and appalling CEO, public relations and communication with customers. Oh, over priced and poor vfm too.

BA are a complete shambles in my experience, never had a fault free journey with them & their on board service is borderline awful, without fail. The staff are generally disorganised and always unhappy too. They always run out of food in business class and the gap between meals service can be up to 8 hours! However, they do fly direct to more places than, pretty much, any other airline & that makes a massive difference for us.

The problem I've had lies with Regent in this case tho' - I can go on line and book business class on the day we want to fly, no bother. Regent just don't have access, despite being able to book a day either side. It is ludicrous tbh. Trouble is, if I book it test counts as "deviation' and Regent told us they won't do the transfers etc, it is crazy really.

As soon as Regent have a deal with Cathay, I'll swap over to them.

Just an aside - really puzzled by Regent's flight arrangements/contract process. Less than 11 months from our HK - Bangkok cruise yet they can't provide access to business class flights with BA on the day we need to go. As they also have not yet got a contract with Cathay Pacific for April 2018 that is not an option.

Consequently, we are now having to book an extra night in HK - because they can access business class the day before ( and the day after!) we need to travel. It is just bizarre tbh.

Correction - I did receive it, just seems to have been delayed arriving in my inbox! It is, clearly, an admin faux pas not an ill thought out marketing ploy. I'm not sure if they use an agency, I'd guess they do, but either way someone has dropped a right ricket there.

I have not received this e.mail - but I did get one promoting Regent's Scandinavian cruises today. It all sounds a bit odd really. I suspect any such e.mail advertising another line is some sort of admin error tbh.

P&O operate 3 adult only ships, Arcadia, Oriana & Adonia. Whilst the other 2 are mid sized ships, Adonia is c 700 pax. We've been on Arcadia, very comfortable and elegant but not up to Regent cuisine, apart from the Asian speciality restaurant which is outstanding.

The lack of children was a wonderful exoerience.

As others have said, you can avoid irritating adults but children just get everywhere! I make no apologies for saying that I don't want to go on holiday with other people's children. If I did I'd enquire where they were going and book to be with them!