Cruising in the Time of Covid: Explorer January 19 – February 4, 2022, San Diego to Miami

[briar14]

1 hour ago, forgap said:

Fran described our boarding very well so I won't repeat.  I think all together it took about  two hours from drop off to lunch in La Veranda.   My father would have described it as the stations of the cross as you went from one venue to the next...gold sticker here, red wrist band there.  The longest process was the actual Regent check in as you had to hand over our documents for Columbia and write down our vaccination details.  (yes, it appears as if we are doing more than a technical stop there)

 

The ship itself is very elegant.  We are in a concierge suite.  The difference that I can discern from the other Regent ships is that the rooms are wider but shorter so, for me, they seem a bit smaller even though I know they are not in terms of square footage.  The deck is huge, though.   

 

We are going to Pacific Rim tonight.  It was very easy to get an extra reservation as the ship does not seem full at all.  

 

Such a relief to be on board!
 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2022 by briar14
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[briar14]

21 minutes ago, briar14 said:

I love your “setting the table”. We enjoyed Splendor in Sept/Oct and Mariner in Dec/Jan. I know how exciting it is to board a Regent  ship after 1+ years. Coming home. Wishing  you a happy healthy cruise!

 

Edited January 20, 2022 by briar14
Grammar

[forgap]

The first day and evening on board is always such a blur…unpacking, exploring, and discovering our favorite books and crannies on board.  We hadn’t slept very well the night before so we opted for spontaneous reservations at Pacific Rim and called it an early evening by 9pm.  
 

But not before finding the Meridian Lounge and their cocktails.  I intend to work my way through the menu but I wanted to give you a look at my first try, a Spicy and Passion.  It was a bit sweet for my taste but if you took a bit of the hot and salty rim, the cocktail neared perfection.  

 

 

Pacific Rim was lovely and I had a real problem deciding what I wanted.   I should have insisted on a sampler plate but I didn’t want to wear out my welcome on the first night.   So, I opted for sushi and Korean lamb chops.  Georges had the miso sea bass and wolfed it down before even offering me a taste!  How did I train him?  

 

Catalina today.  Our tour “Sealife Safari” was cancelled so we opted for the “Undersea Expedition”.  Stay tuned!  

[GoNavyFamily]

I've never posted on CC and inserted so many photos so I hope this comes out right!

 

First dinner at Prime 7 was lovely!  I have to preference this by saying we were given the opportunity to upgrade to a Penthouse suite for much less than booking rate, prior to sailing, which we took. It is perfect for us and it will be hard to ever go back to a regular cabin. 

 

Some dinner photos and comments: we tried to not overeat and being good may last a couple of days.  We both ordered french onion soup (very good). Hubby ordered tomato and pickled onion salad which was presented beautifully but hothouse tomatoes just don't taste as good as freshly grown. He ordered prime rib and it was fantastic. I love red meat but don't eat as much as I used to, and so I experimented with the fish of the day, barrimundi.  Also presented beautifully with mashed potatoes and vegetables, but it was more fishy tasting than I prefer. Maybe next time I'll stick with what I know!  For dessert, hubby had popcorn sundae and I elected for fruit and creme fraiche. It was delicious and just the right ending to my meal.  

A complimentary tasting of smoky tomato soup

 

 

Sides- mushrooms, green beans, creamed spinach, onion rings

Complimentary brownie with ?plum?

Popcorn sundae

Fresh fruit dessert

 

We did not visit lounges after as we had been up since 3am with the time change from the east coast (we are normally early risers but not that early). Tonight we will stay up later!

 

The theater entertainment last night was a comedy magician and tonight a Broadway actress/singer.

 

This morning we are up a little after 5am. The bed is so comfortable! We had signed up for two one hour excursions, but the second one (rib boat to go whale and dolphin watching) was cancelled. So we will go on the undersea exploration, then walk around the town on our own to stretch our legs. Prime 7 is open for lunch so that is our eating destination once back on board. 

 

Sunrise from our balcony to our left, Catalina Island to our right

 

We love the ship and it's staff and crew! 

 

[Boats07]

48 minutes ago, forgap said:

The first day and evening on board is always such a blur…unpacking, exploring, and discovering our favorite books and crannies on board.  We hadn’t slept very well the night before so we opted for spontaneous reservations at Pacific Rim and called it an early evening by 9pm.  
 

But not before finding the Meridian Lounge and their cocktails.  I intend to work my way through the menu but I wanted to give you a look at my first try, a Spicy and Passion.  It was a bit sweet for my taste but if you took a bit of the hot and salty rim, the cocktail neared perfection.  

 

 

Pacific Rim was lovely and I had a real problem deciding what I wanted.   I should have insisted on a sampler plate but I didn’t want to wear out my welcome on the first night.   So, I opted for sushi and Korean lamb chops.  Georges had the miso sea bass and wolfed it down before even offering me a taste!  How did I train him?  

 

Catalina today.  Our tour “Sealife Safari” was cancelled so we opted for the “Undersea Expedition”.  Stay tuned!  

Thank you for your amazing reviews. I must admit, I was reading this to my husband and when he heard about your heroic attempt to make it through the drink menu, he asked if there was a picture. I laughed and told him yes, there is a picture of an empty glass.  😂😂😂

Enjoy every moment of your trip.   We must wait for our first Regent trip till October.....

[forgap]

Good morning, Catalina!

 

i was up early and made a racket trying to figure out the Illy coffee machine.  Finally brewed a cup and by that time the coffee connection was open so I could get a nice French press.  I had already sweet talked the brew master and learned that he guards the remaining french presses as they break in the galley when put through the machine.  I promised to guard the french press with my life, that my french husband honored all things french, and that I would return it intact for a refill.  I love Regent! 
 

 

[1982CruzStart]

Thank you so much for all the pictures and commentary. Really enjoying following your trip. 

[GoodPam]

Waiting for the covid test results at the terminal yesterday was the most stressful experience. It’s amazing how long 15 minutes can feel! Once we got the ok to check-in the boarding process was seamless. We had the opportunity last week to upgrade to a Penthouse suite and we’re very  glad we did!
The cruise is only at 50% capacity, 395 passengers so it almost feels like our own private yacht. It’s perfect because we can get a reservation anywhere we want when we want it. I won’t reiterate experiences that some have already posted but we had drinks before dinner at the Observation Lounge and then dinner at Pacific Rim..so great! We went to the magician show last night and we were very happy that we sat upstairs away from everyone because on the main level I would guess that 60% of the passengers were NOT wearing masks. The rule is that you need to wear masks indoors at all times except when eating or drinking. I’m at a loss to explain why some aren’t concerned.

 

Today we were supposed to go on the Sealife Safari which sounded like a really fun excursion. Ut the tour operator canceled it. Instead we are going on the Undersea Exploration.

 

Looking forward to another great day!

[howiefrommd]

1 hour ago, GoodPam said:

We went to the magician show last night and we were very happy that we sat upstairs away from everyone because on the main level I would guess that 60% of the passengers were NOT wearing masks. The rule is that you need to wear masks indoors at all times except when eating or drinking. I’m at a loss to explain why some aren’t concerned.

 

 

How much more can people be inconsiderate nor entitled.  How disingenuous of Regent.  I fully understand that direct line/service employees are being placed in the unenviable position to monitor mask (as well as other issues) compliance, but senior staff should step up and get involved.   We have recently been to several shows in NYC, and each theater utilizes an employee solely to monitor and enforce the rules that are expected to be followed.  

 

 

[CruisetheCs]

8 minutes ago, howiefrommd said:

How much more can people be inconsiderate nor entitled.  How disingenuous of Regent.  I fully understand that direct line/service employees are being placed in the unenviable position to monitor mask (as well as other issues) compliance, but senior staff should step up and get involved.   We have recently been to several shows in NYC, and each theater utilizes an employee solely to monitor and enforce the rules that are expected to be followed.  

 

 

If you speak to the GM about this I am curious what the response will be.  Either Regent's management enforces the mask policy or effectively they have no mask policy.  I'm sure some of the same people will not be wearing masks on tour buses, and other venues if Regent doesn't make a point of enforcing its policy. 

[mkcurran]

Following along, mostly for the food. 😆

[RachelG]

very disturbing to hear that only 60% wearing masks in the theater.  It was definitely more than that on our splendor cruise.  I would mention it to the GM.  

[kjbacon]

Great pictures, thank you for taking the time to bring us along!

[GoNavyFamily]

Catalina Island

We were impressed with how quickly our group's tender number was called after we assembled at the assigned location for our morning excursion. Catalina Island is a small, mountainous island and our tender took us to the pretty town of Avalon. The Undersea Exploration was not very long and a good excuse to get off the ship. It was fun to see all the underwater vegetation and several varieties of fish. We saw a sea lion under water at the pier before we left but the water there was somewhat murky and hard to see clearly. 

 

When we returned to the ship, we enjoyed an hour working out at the gym. The gym is quite nice for a small ship and is divided into two rooms. Although it is on deck 6, you enter by walking through the spa on deck 5 and going up a staircase. The spa area has a sauna and steam room, a cool room, and some kind of special shower I will investigate later. 

 

We had a really delicious lunch at Prime 7 and it looked and tasted so good, I forgot to take pics except for one dish. I had a falafel power bowl (pictured) and bay scallops. For dessert, they brought out a special holder from which hung 6 different small containers - a great way for us to sample all that was offered. 

We are relaxing on our balcony now as the ship departs. We had two guests land on our balcony rail and neither wanted to leave🙂. 

 

Plans are to go to the Observation Lounge for an "unofficial mix and mingle" in a bit, to meet our fellow CC members who come by, then go relax around the pool. It is too cool for suits today (low 60s) but the lounge chairs look too inviting not to try (albeit fully dressed). I have yet to read my book! 

 

I was disappointed to read the post from another fellow cruiser about the lack of mask wearing at the show last night (we did not go). If that is the norm, we may have to forgo the big entertainment and sit in one of the lounges in the evening, socially distanced, to enjoy the live musicians. 

 

So far everyone we have seen has been masked inside the ship except for when eating or drinking.

 

It feels so marvelous to be on vacation! Loving Regent so far!

[Gcto]

23 hours ago, labonnevie said:

ON BOARD!

so are we...but we missed the meeting...somebody fell asleep on the balcony 🙂

 

[forgap]

We had a lovely, lazy morning then went on our excursion on the semi- submersible underwater adventure.  I had very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised at the underwater kelp forest and hundreds of fish  congregating by the boat.  They are fed so they recognize the boat and the motor is their dinner bell.   The area is a marine preserve, and has been for many years, so it is a pristine environment.  

 

[AKR2011]

This is a great review so far. Thanks for sharing your experiences.  Great photos!

[GoNavyFamily]

Dinner at Compass Rose tonight!  Both entrees delicious...rack of lamb for him, sea bass with jasmine rice and mixed vegetables with a sweet and sour sauce for me. We move our clocks ahead one hour tonight.

 

We stopped by the excursion desk to get the latest port excursion descriptions and decide if we want to adjust upcoming port plans. It is very interesting to note that on so many excursion descriptions in every port, there are revisions in some of the planned stops. Some may make a difference to people who may have wanted to see a particular place during a registered excursion. I guess covid has impacted all aspects of the cruise. 

 

Beautiful view from our balcony of the moon over the water. 

 

[forgap]

Popped the bubbly for a glass at sunset before dressing and venturing out for the evening.

 

Since I’m working my way through the cocktail menu at the Meridian Lounge, we bellied up to the bar (to better observe the cocktail artistry) and ordered a marguerita for my sweet husband and a Cinco de Mayo for me.  We are headed to Mexico so the choices seemed pre-ordained.  
 

Dinner was in Compass Rose which seemed down right empty.  The whole ship is rather empty with lots of elbow room wherever we go.  I haven’t yet decided if this is a good thing or a bad thing.  The staff on Explorer are particularly friendly and funny which is always a breath of fresh air.

 

A few observations about the Explorer as this is our ninth Regent cruise but our first on this ship.  It is beautifully appointed with many areas to sit and relax.  However, it does not have an aft outside lounging area which was our favorite spot on other ships in the fleet.  

The outside area in La Veranda is my new favorite spot.  On the other ships it is much narrower and on many occasions it was difficult to find a table.  On Explorer the area is spacious and beautiful with royal blue umbrellas shielding the sun (and your food from very bold seagulls!)

A note about cabin plugs:  if you have European converter plugs, bring them!  This was something I completely forgot about and there are precious few US type outlets.  
 

We still have not managed to get to a show…too exhausted still.  Blaming sea sick meds, or I'm keeping farmer’s hours, or I’m old.  We lost an hour last night so it is now time to get to a Pilates class!  

[howiefrommd]

Other than the food and alcohol  (which we know Regent excels in), can anyone provide any feedback on any enrichment (lectures) activities are on this present sailing?

 

Also, how are they handling social distancing on the excursions?

 

Thanks.  Living vicariously through the reporting of those onboard.  

 

Thanks,  Howie

 

 

[forgap]

1 hour ago, howiefrommd said:

Other than the food and alcohol  (which we know Regent excels in), can anyone provide any feedback on any enrichment (lectures) activities are on this present sailing?

 

Also, how are they handling social distancing on the excursions?

 

Thanks.  Living vicariously through the reporting of those onboard.  

 

Thanks,  Howie

 

 

This is our first sea day and there are two guest lecturers on board.  One is a political science professor at Amherst who specializes in Latin America and the other is an academic as well, specializing in law and human rights.  
 

As far as social distancing is concerned, we have had only one port so far and Catalina was mostly a walking port for us.   Most passengers are wearing masks correctly and there is a specified person outside of dining venues making sure you sanitize or wash on entering.  So, so far so good!  

[Aloha 1]

On 1/19/2022 at 4:58 PM, GoNavyFamily said:

 Once aboard, we first went to the dinner reservation desk and added a few more specialty restaurant reservations .

Where is the dinner reservation desk on Explorer?

[tripperva]

Dinner desk is across from main registration desk and next to future cruise desk.

[boblerm]

Many thanks to Jennifer (@forgap) and to all of the others that are posting about their experiences on this cruise, it gives those of us at home a real lift to read about it.

 

@GoNavyFamily, you indicated that this is the first time posting multiple photos on CC, you are doing a great job!

 

Bob

[forgap]

Yesterday was a sea day which means eating, exploring, and napping.   I did start the day with a 9am pilates class led by Jesus (the one on Explorer, not the one in heaven, although midway through the class I was calling on the one in heaven for a bit of help!)

 

Lunch  was in Prime 7, an elegant venue but our lunch was just OK.  I started with a beetroot panna cotta which I liked (9/10) and followed with caramelized scallops (4/10). The scallops were small bay scallops and overcooked so they required a bit of a chew.  

 

My sweet husband had a raw tuna salad on a bed of avocado purée which very good (10/10).  

 

Desert came to the table uninvited (a sampler carousel) and we didn’t want to hurt its feelings so we ate it all.  Wine was consumed so that meant a nap for most of the afternoon.  
 

Our suite faces west and I think there is nothing better than being seated on our balcony, talking and drinking champagne.

 

We made our pit stop in the meridian lounge.  This time I tried the Star martini.  It is a passion fruit concoction with a sidecar of Prosecco.  

 

Then off to Sette Mari for dinner.  I missed the memo that it was a formal optional night and I wondered why I saw so many sparkly dresses and dark suits.  Oh well.  We ate way too much on the back veranda and then waddled back to our cabin.  
 

i decided to see the Divos and Divas production.  I lasted about ten minutes as it just wasn’t my cup of tea.