Construction begins on Seven Seas Explorer®: The Most Luxurious Ship in the World™

[Anchorbuoy]

We are on the Voyager this week, Stockholm to Southampton. This is the reunion cruise for Regent's 22 anniversary, and Mark Conroy is the featured guest.

 

The Passages yesterday included an insert with events for the week. Of note:

"Join Mark and his wife Marilyn for a festive cocktail party in our newly refurbished Constellation Theater, Deck 4 on August 9th at 6:00 pm; plus an informative Q&A session will be hosted by Mark about the soon to be built Seven Seas Explorer on August 11th at 11:00 am". The 9th is the evening for the usual Seven Seas Society party.

 

Maybe we will finally learn some actual details of the ship.

 

Mark is also participating on 2 of the Regent Choice shore excursions. So he should have casual time to connect with Regent friends.

[petlover]

Has there been any mention of a possible Shakedown cruise? I understand that in the past those invited are determined by tier levels, number of nights on Regent ships etc. which could be a plus for us.

Maybe shakedown cruises are last minute decisions or no longer existent with today's cruise popularity ??

[hondorner]

There was a short shakedown cruise scheduled for Oceania Marina, from Genoa to Barcelona, but it did not happen because of last minute shipyard delays. It was aimed at cruise industry professionals, and a few friends and family. We sailed the Maiden voyage from Barcelona to Miami. The formal christening was held in Miami and there was a short christening cruise, 3 days to the Bahamas, again for travel writers agents, executives' families and a very few invited "normal" passengers. Then, the ship continued to San Francisco.

 

When Riviera was launched in Genoa, she was scheduled to be christened in Barcelona. There was a 9 day christening cruise from Monte Carlo with a couple of stops before the christening, and then hightailing it from Barcelona to Venice to begin the Maiden voyage to Athens. Once again, most of the invited guests were from the cruise industry. This time there were 5 couples of invited guests from the passenger ranks. 3 of the couples were the ones who had cruised most often with O; the other 2 couples were the 4 token guests who had also attended the float-out of Marina, the first steel cutting of Riviera and Marina's short christening cruise. 4 of the couples went on to sail Riviera's Maiden.

[Suite Travels]

We are looking forward to the Explorer thank you Jackie for telling us. We just need to know where she is going after completion.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

We would love to try Explorer when she's ready. No shakedowns or maiden voyages for us, I suspect.

[Travelcat2]

Don, I expect the plan to be the same as it was for the Marina (if it had happened). It will be interesting to learn where all of the ships will be in the summer of 2016 since the Mariner and Voyager are usually in the Med. at that time of the year. Plus, there is the rumor that the Mariner and Navigator will switch places during Alaska season. It would seem that one of the ships will leave the Med. for other parts of the world.

 

Weren't you going to be on Marina's shakedown cruise? I know you were on the maiden voyage.

 

Naturally I could not be more excited. We don't care where she goes or when -- we'll be there with bells on!

 

Hope you are doing well -- we think about you a lot.

 

P.S. Miles - really happy to hear that you plan to sail on the Explorer. It should be magnificent!

Edited August 9, 2014 by Travelcat2

[Suite Travels]

Looking forward to it and thank you for the heads up. Our travel agent is looking forward to the new build.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

They could do something like they did for Voyager, but then of course, that was Radisson, not Regent (right?) Do as petlover alluded to, and invite high-tier passengers on the shakedown, gratis.

[Travelcat2]

Wendy, you are correct -- most Regent long-time customers have experience with new ships built by Radisson. The only thing we have to go by now is what was done for Oceania's Marina and Riviera. If they went by high-tier customers, they could more than fill the ship with Titanium and Platinum guests. I still suspect they will do what Don stated and, if they have a shake-down cruise, it will be for "travel writers agents, executives' families and a very few invited "normal" passengers".

[boblerm]

Can someone please explain what a shakedown cruise is? Not familiar with that term.

Bob

[Suite Travels]

It will be the first cruise which sorts things out and fine tunes. TC explained it very well. We will never do one. Just wait a few weeks or months so everything is in perfect order. Every line goes through a shake down cruise when a new ship is introduced.

 

Just Google shake down cruise you will find the answers there as well. Google has a wonderful brain to answer questions. Use it.

[Travelcat2]

It will be the first cruise which sorts things out and fine tunes. TC explained it very well. We will never do one. Just wait a few weeks or months so everything is in perfect order. Every line goes through a shake down cruise when a new ship is introduced.

 

Just Google shake down cruise you will find the answers there as well. Google has a wonderful brain to answer questions. Use it.

 

I know that you do not want to do a maiden voyage but I'm not certain if you have done one previously. On the Marina maiden voyage I recall reading on how the internet and some other things were not functional. We don't care what is or isn't working perfectly. Regent has been a part of our lives for only 10 1/2 years but it is an important part. We never dreamed that so many Regent people would feel like part of our family. For that reason, we will embrace the Explorer and will love her unconditionally - as we do our family. It sounds weird to "love" a cruise ship but she is part of the huge family that is Regent. Regent/Radisson has brought us memories that will last the rest of our lives.

 

Okay -- enough mush -- just wish that we could see what she will look like.

[hondorner]

I did indeed sail on the first voyages of both Marina and Riviera. Because of shipyard delays, the (non-complimtary) Maiden voyage of Marina also served as her shakedown cruise. For those enamored of being "first", it was great fun! There were 60 shipyard workers aboard, finishing the ship while traversing the Atlantic. Some upper suites were not ready, decks were bring laid, and some upholstelry was changed overnight. The internet was not "tuned", some of the induction stoves in the culinary center did not work and there were other challenges. However, all guests received what internet worked for free, all adult beverages were comped, and fees for cooking classes were refunded, even though most of the stoves worked.

 

The fun came in a sort of scavenger hunt to find things that weren't quite right. It was PCH's first attempt to build a ship to their own design; ultimately over 2,000 items were placed on a punch list for correction, mostly minor.

 

The experience was invaluable. Despite a strike at the shipyard that resulted in about 3 weeks delay, Riviera was launched with enough time planned for the complimentary voyage of 9 days, and there were no discernible flaws in the ship or the service. I expect the performance will be btter on Explorer by an order of magnitude. Many of the original problems concerned the shipyard not understanding the PCH standard of excellence; they were applying the practices of the other cruise lines. This being the third PCH ship, the shipyard now knows what is expected of them.

 

PCH does not use the term "shakedown" except informally; they prefer "friends and family" or "christening" cruise, with the invited guests also attending the invitation-only christening (or more properly, 'naming') ceremony.

 

Please excuse any typos I missed; I'm sending this from a tiny keyboard while in hospital.

[Travelcat2]

I did indeed sail on the first voyages of both Marina and Riviera. Because of shipyard delays, the (non-complimtary) Maiden voyage of Marina also served as her shakedown cruise. For those enamored of being "first", it was great fun! There were 60 shipyard workers aboard, finishing the ship while traversing the Atlantic. Some upper suites were not ready, decks were bring laid, and some upholstelry was changed overnight. The internet was not "tuned", some of the induction stoves in the culinary center did not work and there were other challenges. However, all guests received what internet worked for free, all adult beverages were comped, and fees for cooking classes were refunded, even though most of the stoves worked.

 

The fun came in a sort of scavenger hunt to find things that weren't quite right. It was PCH's first attempt to build a ship to their own design; ultimately over 2,000 items were placed on a punch list for correction, mostly minor.

 

The experience was invaluable. Despite a strike at the shipyard that resulted in about 3 weeks delay, Riviera was launched with enough time planned for the complimentary voyage of 9 days, and there were no discernible flaws in the ship or the service. I expect the performance will be btter on Explorer by an order of magnitude. Many of the original problems concerned the shipyard not understanding the PCH standard of excellence; they were applying the practices of the other cruise lines. This being the third PCH ship, the shipyard now knows what is expected of them.

 

PCH does not use the term "shakedown" except informally; they prefer "friends and family" or "christening" cruise, with the invited guests also attending the invitation-only christening (or more properly, 'naming') ceremony.

 

Please excuse any typos I missed; I'm sending this from a tiny keyboard while in hospital.

 

Don, the heck with the Explorer for a moment. Why are you back in the hospital? Was there a setback? Certainly hope not!

[hondorner]

Don, the heck with the Explorer for a moment. Why are you back in the hospital? Was there a setback? Certainly hope not!

 

Just a little setback. After the tumor was removed from my heart, I had a lot of fluids -normal - and swelling in my legs and belly. The problem was that my kidneys were not playing nice and I wasn't getting rid of the fluids. After several days at home the swelling increased to pitting. I was readmitted last Thurs for tests to be certain there were no physical blockages, then zapped with iv diuretics. Been back to normal since Sat, but kept for observation. Going home again tomorrow. Can't wait, the food is horrible :). Cruise Critic keeps me sane...or as close to that as I ever will be :rolleyes:.

[Travelcat2]

Just a little setback. After the tumor was removed from my heart, I had a lot of fluids -normal - and swelling in my legs and belly. The problem was that my kidneys were not playing nice and I wasn't getting rid of the fluids. After several days at home the swelling increased to pitting. I was readmitted last Thurs for tests to be certain there were no physical blockages, then zapped with iv diuretics. Been back to normal since Sat, but kept for observation. Going home again tomorrow. Can't wait, the food is horrible :). Cruise Critic keeps me sane...or as close to that as I ever will be :rolleyes:.

 

Thanks for the response -- I was really worried. Please take care of yourself. Had to laugh when you said that "Cruise Critic keeps me sane..." Sometimes it seems like the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest;)

[Hambagahle]

Don - I just picked up on another thread that you have been ill and I send my best wishes for a speedy recovery. Get rid of those fluids! Hope to see you on the Explorer Maiden voyage in two years time.

Gerry

[hondorner]

Don - I just picked up on another thread that you have been ill and I send my best wishes for a speedy recovery. Get rid of those fluids! Hope to see you on the Explorer Maiden voyage in two years time.

Gerry

 

Thanks - I can't think of many others I'd more like to meet.

 

Because of budget restrictions, I've only sailed Regent twice. But, I was warned a couple of years ago to keep an open date in 2016 (before anyone gets their hopes up, said date not specified). We've been budgeting, at least mentally, for that eventuality ever since. We earn enough credits on our World Cruise for a free cruise; I'll take what we would have spent on that and add to it for Explorer, and get both cruises!

[Pepc]

I'm confused!

Please explain how you . . . "We earn enough credits on our World Cruise for a free cruise . . ."Do you have to sign up for something special on Regent to earn credits beyond being Seven Seas Society members?

Thank you for explaining!

[Patti22]

We are on our TA's list for both Seabourn and Regent's new ships. We were told last week that there may not be a shakedown on Explorer. We probably won't get either maiden voyage but just exciting to be on the list.

 

Hondorner, best wishes for you getting home and some decent food.

[Travelcat2]

I'm confused!

Please explain how you . . . "We earn enough credits on our World Cruise for a free cruise . . ."Do you have to sign up for something special on Regent to earn credits beyond being Seven Seas Society members?

Thank you for explaining!

 

Don was referring to his cruises on Oceania. There loyalty program is very different than on Regent. You receive points based on how many cruises you take rather than days onboard.

 

Don, happy to know that we'll see you onboard the Explorer. Hope to have dinner with you and Betsy. Apparently the next Explorer event will be the media event in January where they do something with the hull (you no doubt know more about this than I do -- I'm quite clueless when it comes to new ships).

Edited August 11, 2014 by Travelcat2

[Pepc]

Thank you very much for the explanation!

[hondorner]

Jackie is correct, and I didn't include enough detail. As she stated, credits on O are by the cruise. We have 10 credits now and will receive 15 more for the 180 day around the world cruise on Insignia; 20 credits earns a free cruise. Especially after the WC, we could not afford both an O cruise and the Explorer maiden in the same year, and we like to take at least one O cruise every year. However, since that year's O cruise will be free, I can squeeze out the extra $$$ for the Explorer cruise. I suppose I could skip the O cruise in 2016, but where's the fun in that? ;) Now, if I could apply those credits towards the Regent cruise, that would be excellent! But, not so. It's a hard life...:cool:

[Responder]

Wendy, you are correct -- most Regent long-time customers have experience with new ships built by Radisson. The only thing we have to go by now is what was done for Oceania's Marina and Riviera. If they went by high-tier customers, they could more than fill the ship with Titanium and Platinum guests. I still suspect they will do what Don stated and, if they have a shake-down cruise, it will be for "travel writers agents, executives' families and a very few invited "normal" passengers".

 

In order to escape the stigma of being class oriented, would be nice if Regent simply created a lottery for ordinary mortals wanting to go on the maiden voyage and let the chips fall where they may.

[RachelG]

Or at least invite people who really are loyal to and love Regent! And have adult children who do as well who will be sailing with them well into the future.