Occasional observations from Explorer 'Round the Isles' June 2017

[Travelcat2]

Your experience with CR is the same as ours. It is so popular - likely due to the new menu - that the specialty restaurants usually had opening. Perhaps CR should be a bit larger (and more sound-proofed) on "Explorer II". Also, think that talking on cell phones should not be allowed in dining venues. Apparently some people still don't know how rude it is to talk on the phone while amongst others.

[rarin2go]

Your experience with CR is the same as ours. It is so popular - likely due to the new menu - that the specialty restaurants usually had opening. Perhaps CR should be a bit larger (and more sound-proofed) on "Explorer II". Also, think that talking on cell phones should not be allowed in dining venues. Apparently some people still don't know how rude it is to talk on the phone while amongst others.

 

 

Agreed - unfortunately it is almost normal at lunchtime in city restaurants in London - some people think their communications are more important than others' quiet enjoyment!

 

Agree also re sound proofing but I do think the flat square layout with hard surfaces above and to the sides is the problem. The more intimate restaurants tend to break the space up more with soft furnishings. On the other hand I'm sure the open layout makes it easier for service - we certainly never had to wait for anything [emoji106]

 

 

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[lambert.studio]

Onboard now. Signed up for the Meet & Mingle but never received an invitation. Maybe others are in the same boat so to speak and that could be why attendance was poor. Having a great time except for the weather.

You're on the next cruise with us - hope they do better with the invites for the Meet & Mingle :D Glad to hear you're having a good time (weather excepted)!

[lambert.studio]

We have now dined twice in Compass Rose. Once we tried for a table around 8.15 pm and had a 15 minute wait to be seated. When we were it was in a section near the entrance. It was very noisy, making normal conversation difficult. The food was adequate rather than exceptional and the large rectangular area, combined with the lack of any features gives the ambience of an, admittedly upmarket, refectory. The menu lacks the variety that we have found previously - I know there is the 'mix & match' of different entrees and sauces but think the chefs must find it rather inhibits creativity. The sauces also tend toward the bland - certainly the green pepper was almost flavour free.

 

The next time (last night) was better. We dined around 6.45pm and managed to secure a table in the rear section where, despite the rather low ceiling, it was pleasantly quiet except for a young couple making and taking calls on their cell phones! Service in both sections was very good, certainly as good as any other Regent ship we've sailed and maybe a notch or two better.

 

We also tried Prime 7 which is definitely bigger and better laid out than on the older ships. Again it was not full at any time that night. Perhaps I should add, in case I haven't said before, that the ship is full. We have, however, managed to secure additional bookings in all the specialty restaurants, so clearly Compass Rose is very popular with the majority of passengers.

 

I've just noticed that CR has Miso-Glazed Sea Bass on the menu tonight so that's one decision already made!

 

Excursions next.

 

 

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Thanks again for your updates - unbelievable that people can't put down their cell phones. I was looking forward to not seeing those things everywhere :rolleyes:

[rarin2go]

Excursions

 

DW writes:

 

'We docked in Newcastle at 0815. Unfortunately the weather was cool with intermittent rain, very grey & misty.

 

We went by coach to Durham with a very good guide who took us on a route so that we could see the Millenium Bridge as well as the Tyne Bridge over the river. We also drove past The Angel of the North, Antony Gormley's wonderful steel sculpture with an enormous wing span which looks as if it is embracing all visitors. At the foot of the angel were many floral tributes left in memory of 2 youngsters from Newcastle who died in the Manchester attack.

 

We visited Durham Cathedral & luckily the rain stopped. The guide told us all about St Cuthbert on Lindisfarne or Holy Isle, & how the monks of St Benedict carried his coffin to Durham, a journey of about 30 miles which took 100 years in all. There is a wonderful wooden sculpture of the monks carrying his coffin in the square below the hill on which the cathedral sits. There is another sculpture by the same sculptor of the Annunciation which is amazingly peaceful & is close to the tomb of the Venerable Bede. Within the cathedral is a very moving Pieta made from large pieces of driftwood carved to release the shape of Christ lying at the foot of Mary.

 

When we arrived there was a funeral taking place so we had to wait before we could look around. We were lucky enough to be in the shrine to St Cuthbert at 3.00pm when daily prayers take place so about 6 of us stayed for the short service which was very simple and powerful. We had a special prayer for the victims of the Manchester & London Bridge terrorist attacks.

 

We walked back down the steep hill to find the coach & returned via the Tyne tunnel so missed the Angel on the return journey. Our guide did however sing to us of the Bladen Races & spoke in the Geordie dialect to the bemusement of some, I'm sure.'

 

I am not a great fan of the included excursions policy and was disappointed to note that the coaches were almost full - only 4 places were unfilled. Not really six star luxury!

 

 

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[Mudhen]

I'm sorry to hear that transportation wasn't so spacious, but it sounds like the guide and some lovely experiences made up for that!

[rarin2go]

Tuesday 06.06.17

 

We anchored off the Port of Newhaven in Leith & were tendered to the port. It was raining but I still decided to go on the trip to Edinburgh castle but Alan decided to avoid the rain & the walking in Edinburgh. He made the correct decision as it was an extremely wet & frustrating day. I arrived in the theatre at 8.00 as directed but we were not called to the tender until 8.45. The tender journey was not far but it was bumpy & when we arrived it was still raining hard. On the quay were 2 musicians, a piper & a drummer in full Scottish outfits covered by black waterproofs who played a selection of Scottish airs including "Singing in the Rain".

 

Our guide was excellent & as a former geography teacher she knew how to make it live. She pointed out the finer points of the architecture in the Georgian buildings in the new part of Edinburgh which was designed by Robert Adam & the tiny courtyards in the old medieval part of Edinburgh. We saw statues of Robbie Burns, Queen Victoria, George iv, Wellington on his rearing horse in Waterloo Place, together with Robert Louis Stevenson whose father & grandfather were important engineers.

 

We also saw the Assembly Rooms, the Scottish Parliament, the house where Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister lives. We saw Holyrood where the Queen stays when she is in Edinburgh each summer & the church she attends & where Zara Phillips was married. Interestingly it has bright red doors & is a Presbyterian Church of Scotland where the congregation sits in the round. We tried to drive up the Royal Mile but the traffic was horrendous - we sat at one set of traffic lights while they changed 9 times before we could inch forward. We saw Charlotte Square & the Princes Gardens where only those who live there can enter! Most of the names of streets & squares were chosen for patriotic reasons after the union of the UK in 1700s.

 

Eventually we arrived at the castle in heavy rain. We walked up amid a sea of umbrellas carried by all nationalities - it was heaving with sodden people. We queued in heavy rain to get in & once in we had to find our own way round as guides were not allowed to stop, presumably as it would hold up too many people. We only had half an hour left so I went to see the Scottish Crown Jewels & the stone of Scone but as all the entrances were very narrow you had to shuffle though with hundreds of others. I don't think I have ever see so many people in such a relatively small space since Pompeii. I had to dash out once I'd found the exit to make sure I didn't miss the coach.

 

We sat on the coach soaked through to the skin & cold. We then had to wait in the fish market for the tender for about 20 minutes but at least we were out of the rain. The tender crossing was very choppy but at least we all arrived back safely!

 

 

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[RachelG]

Sounds like a cold and wet day. Thanks for your reports and hope the weather improves.

[JPR]

Rain in Scotland? What a surprise! (;>))

 

The use of phones as phones in any indoor dining venue should be banned...

[Travelcat2]

Thanks for info. Any idea of gm on Explorer in August?

 

I think that I can find out who will be G.M. in August but need to know when in August.

[rcandkc]

We leave August 9.

When we cruised around Scotland and Ireland it was quite bumpy and lots of rain but we loved the cruise anyway. Fortunately, it was not pouring in Edinburgh for us though. Sorry it was so wet.

[Travelcat2]

We leave August 9.

When we cruised around Scotland and Ireland it was quite bumpy and lots of rain but we loved the cruise anyway. Fortunately, it was not pouring in Edinburgh for us though. Sorry it was so wet.

 

Good news - Franck Galzy will still be onboard! While we like all of the G.M.'s, Franck has a special place in our hearts - we have known him for several years and have always thought that he should be the trainer for any G.M. that comes to Regent - whether from Oceania or another cruise line!

 

Your itinerary looks great - have a great cruise!

[eliana]

That's good news Travelcat. Do you know who will be CD on Explorer from 25 July?

[Travelcat2]

That's good news Travelcat. Do you know who will be CD on Explorer from 25 July?

 

I'm expecting to hear back on that within 24 hours and will post.

[rcandkc]

Thanks for the info!

[rarin2go]

John Barron leaves on July 25 and is replaced by Andy Heath until September when John returns.

 

 

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[rarin2go]

Andy Heath will take over as CD from 25 July until John Barron returns in September- according to John Barron!

 

 

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[Paul&Shark]

Our first dinner was to be in Compass Rose but there was a long line and, rather than wait for a two-top, we accepted the offer of a table in Chartreuse. I'm not sure but it seemed to me that it was a bigger venue than Signatures had been (on Mariner & Voyager) - the same thought occurred to me when we visited Prime 7 last night. There certainly seemed to be more space and neither restaurant was full unlike CR!

 

had a great meal anyway, good food and great service. We have not recognised any of the wait staff yet as most of them we spoke to had been with Regent less than the 3 years since we last sailed. ""For those of you interested in wine, there was a decent Petit Chablis and our old favourite Chateauneuf du Pape on offer.""

 

We had tried CR for lunch earlier in the day but it was reserved for a special event - it looked like an affinity group but we have seen no evidence of this elsewhere. Anyway, we enjoyed a light lunch in La Veranda and were impressed by the improved layout of the buffet area.

 

Sunday was a sea day so we had the chance to try the famous Brunch in CR - very impressive! But so difficult to decide where to start and, even more, where to stop! That kept us going until dinner, of course.

 

More later.

 

Hi,

Regent are pouring the Serabel Chateau neuf du Pape. As you seem to like this product it might

be of interest for you to know that this wine is for sale at the LIDL supermarkets for € 7,95. For that price it is quite an enjoyable supermarket wine indeed! We drink it as well. Serabel has another Cotes du Rhône as Well and that sells at LIDL for just € 6.95. Enjoy! Btw I am NOT working for LIDL but just a customer with a satisfied mind. (Thank you Porter Wagoner) :p:p

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Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

[eliana]

We join Explorer on 25 July and from previous posts on this website have been told that Franck Galzy will be GM? That is good news as we know and like him. The CD will be Andy Heath whom we do not know despite many cruises with Regent. Would appreciate any comments. Also bridge is a speciality of this cruise. Any names for Bridge Director.

[Travelcat2]

Andy Heath is from Oceania and he sails with his wife Tammy (could be the Assistant C.D?). Since Oceania is so different than Regent, perhaps we can get some reviews on Andy this summer. A quick search on the Oceania boards indicate that he does trivia quite well. For better or worse (likely for the better), John Barron is such a strong, positive C.D. that it is difficult for anyone to match up. We do adore Paul Reynolds and am to close to both men to do a proper comparison. If John, Paul or Lorraine are not onboard, we pay little attention to the Cruise Director. Note: Ray Solaire is so talented but his interaction with the guests is minimal, so, even after a few cruises with him, we still do not feel like we know him.

[redmaid]

Andy & Tammy are excellent they were on our Baltic Cruise last year on Voyager

[Brownie54]

I feel that the Cruise Director really sets the tone for the cruise, the GM, not so much. Just need to give a huge shout out to CD Jamie and his ACD wife Dana. They were absolutely fantastic on the World Cruise this year.

[Travelcat2]

I feel that the Cruise Director really sets the tone for the cruise, the GM, not so much. Just need to give a huge shout out to CD Jamie and his ACD wife Dana. They were absolutely fantastic on the World Cruise this year.

 

So glad that you brought them up. We have only cruised with them once in 365 nights onboard Regent and enjoyed them so very much. I certainly did not mean to omit them from my earlier post.

[UUNetBill]

We sailed with Jamie and Dana last summer and enjoyed them very much. They were probably the most approachable and gregarious pair we've yet encountered. They're a lot of fun.

[rarin2go]

Apologies for the very occasional nature of these reports - too busy enjoying ourselves! As we have an unscheduled sea day today, I'll try to catch up a bit. It's unscheduled because high winds in Liverpool port meant the we needed 2 tugs to manoeuvre off the berth safely. Unfortunately these were not available until 10.30 pm, some five hours after we were due to leave for Cobh in Ireland. Captain Stan decided that, in view of the high winds and seas, we did not have enough time to get there before we were due to leave! So we are now on our way to Dartmouth, our final port.

 

We have now dined in all the restaurants except Sette Mari which we avoid because of the lack of a reservations system. Compass Rose continues to be very busy and unless you're there before 7pm, there is a wait for a two top. We have therefore been dining early there and sitting in the rear where it is definitely quieter although there is a lot of foot traffic to and from the galley. Service has been consistently excellent, we have never felt rushed nor have we waited too long for our food. Wine has been kept topped up and quickly produced when we have asked for an alternative to the standard pour.

 

We were not overwhelmed by Pacific Rim. While the ingredients were fine, the spicing was too bland to our taste. It was very good to find an Alsace Gewürztraminer on offer - although the Sommelier described it as German. Luckily there were no French passengers within earshot! There is also a German Riesling from Dr Loosen available - it is only 10.5% alcohol but not too sweet - we drink it quite often at home.

 

We enjoyed P7 which seemed to be the most popular of the specialty restaurants we actually visited. It is a very consistent, quality product but we are not great steak eaters - 6 oz is more than enough for us - so we don't seek extra visits.

 

Our favourite is Chartreuse, although not many seem to share our preference if the availability of tables at short notice is a reliable indicator. The service from all the staff but particularly Coralie and Celine has been both efficient and charming. The food is to our tastes generally although the slow-cooked beef ribs were lacking in flavour but not in quantity! We were keen to try the rack of lamb but were deterred by reports that it could be tough. The cheese soufflé was consistently excellent as were the desserts.

 

Overall, the standard of service throughout the ship has certainly been the best we have experienced on Regent and the food has been of the same high standard. I do think though that the appeal of the specialty restaurants has been reduced by the new menu in CR.

 

Tonight we dine with the GM and tomorrow we shall dine in Chartreuse for the fourth and final time

 

 

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