Travelling on the Explorer?

[liv2dream]

I seldom see any comments about the Explorer on this board.  Does that mean things are really great, really bad…or just so-so?

For those onboard now, or recently, can you please let me know if I should go ahead with my final payment?

[Pcardad]

Things are great on Explorer - it is a wonderful, fairly new ship. If you want to go on a Regent cruise, there is nothing with the ship that should dissuade you.

[carolina cruisin]

Returned from an Australia/SE Asia cruise - Jan 13-Feb 21.  Loved the ship.  We actually liked the decor better than the Splendor - "more subdued".  Perhaps the best service we have experienced.  Have another Explorer cruise booked for Sept 2024.  Go for it.

[GOARMY]

Explorer was just-fine when we were on an extended cruise a few months ago.  

 

GOARMY!

 

[Tsunami74]

1 hour ago, carolina cruisin said:

Returned from an Australia/SE Asia cruise - Jan 13-Feb 21.  Loved the ship.  We actually liked the decor better than the Splendor - "more subdued".  Perhaps the best service we have experienced.  Have another Explorer cruise booked for Sept 2024.  Go for it.

We were also on this cruise and agree 100%. 

Splendor was nice, but Explorer just seemed more attractive for us.

Checking out Grandeur next month.

[Wuzzle10]

We were on Explorer jan 2023, not a good experience , first time with RSSC and last, cancelled our South Pacific cruise 2024 as to risky , lots of reasons for a bad review but Regent handled it badly and never got back to us so we have gone back to Seabourn which has been great for us 

[DeepFreeze63]

On Explore now. Shanghai tomorrow as part of 14 day cruise to /from Tokyo. Our 28th Regent cruise; 6th on Explorer. Having, as usual, a great experience. 295 "new-to- Regent" passengers on board.

We have a 61 day "Grand Asia" cruise booked on Explorer in early 2026, which we are eagerly looking forward to.

[irishwitchy]

3 hours ago, Wuzzle10 said:

We were on Explorer jan 2023, not a good experience , first time with RSSC and last, cancelled our South Pacific cruise 2024 as to risky , lots of reasons for a bad review but Regent handled it badly and never got back to us so we have gone back to Seabourn which has been great for us 

We were on this cruise and Regent didn’t really handle the problems well, but it wasn’t really the fault of the Explorer (the problems could have been any ship).   Did it sour me a bit on cruising - it did.  However since I cruised with them four times before the bad, disappointing cruise I’m giving them another chance later this year.  Good luck. 

[charltonkerry]

9 hours ago, Wuzzle10 said:

We were on Explorer jan 2023, not a good experience , first time with RSSC and last, cancelled our South Pacific cruise 2024 as to risky , lots of reasons for a bad review but Regent handled it badly and never got back to us so we have gone back to Seabourn which has been great for us 

We were also on that cruise, agree initially that regent management was terrible, but eventually the came up with a good compensation package, however without in my opinion a satisfactory explanation of why the situation occurred and that was the fault of Regent head office and not the fault of the ship or crew of Explorer.

 

Explorer is our favourite Regent ship and as someone described it much more subdued than Splendor. As it was my life long ambition to see New Zealand despite the January ‘23 cruise we have now booked the 61 day “grand Asia” grand cruise for January ‘26 so hopefully we will finally see New Zealand and Tasmania.

[forgap]

1 hour ago, charltonkerry said:

We were also on that cruise, agree initially that regent management was terrible, but eventually the came up with a good compensation package

What happened on that cruise?

[Louby-Lou]

14 hours ago, carolina cruisin said:

Returned from an Australia/SE Asia cruise - Jan 13-Feb 21.  Loved the ship.  We actually liked the decor better than the Splendor - "more subdued".  Perhaps the best service we have experienced.  Have another Explorer cruise booked for Sept 2024.  Go for it.

We've just been on Explorer - Japan.  How tastes differ! We disliked the decor - everywhere is too dark.  Coffee Connection is too dark, as is the Observation Lounge.  We preferred our room (Penthouse) on Voyager - more open, brighter and a nicer bathroom and walk-in wardrobe.  Compass Rose was very noisy, especially when seated where the ceiling is lower.

 

It's a good job we're not all the same!

[papaflamingo]

11 hours ago, Wuzzle10 said:

We were on Explorer jan 2023, not a good experience

Jan. 2023 was a LONG time ago.  Crews come and go.  I'm not trying to talk you into trying Regent again, I don't do those things. I feel people should find what they like and stick with it.  Much of the "cruise experience" is very subjective after all.  I am only pointing out the fact that you were on Explorer over a year ago because it might skew the OP as to how Explorer is NOW in 2024.  We sailed on her Feb. 21-March 6 and felt it was one of our best Regent cruises to date.  We were on Grandeur in Jan. and as beautiful as she is, I personally like the older more "rich" darker colors on Explorer.  Personal preference for sure, my wife was the opposite, she loved the lighter decor of Grandeur.  

But the service, food, etc. of Explorer was definitely, at least for us, what the Regent Experience should be.  Oh what a difference a year makes. 

[charltonkerry]

1 hour ago, forgap said:

What happened on that cruise?

It was the last section of a grand cruise, it should have been Sydney to Auckland, but turned out to be a 15 night boomerang tour of the Tamsin sea. Because the Explorer didn’t have the correct certification saying the hull was clear of all foreign matter, this requirement of New Zealand came into force just before Covid struck and then wasn’t enforced until 2022. So basically it meant we weren’t allowed into New Zealand waters, but at the last moment New Zealand relented and allowed us to dock in Auckland and re provision and new passengers where allowed on, for the next cruise which also then run into a similar argument. 
 

That basically it, as I said it had nothing to do with the ship Explorer, but the senior management on board didn’t perform that well, an example was the cruise director daily update saying he would inform us of exactly the situation and as he was speaking the ship had changed direction 4 hours previously and we were heading back to Australian waters to attempt the nearly impossible cleaning of the ship hull whilst at sea (which was carried out but failed New Zealand inspection). From memory we boomerang the crossing of the Tasmania sea 3 times. 15 days without setting foot (might have been 12) land is long while. The staff all done a magnificent job, with shows and entertainment being altered and put on daily, the food was magnificent although we did run out of lemons, so had to have lime in my gin and tonic.

 

In the end Regent did a great compensation package, note I said in the end because some earlier ones where how can I put it politely unacceptable and it was the closest I been to a mutiny by the passengers, apparently my suggestion of keel hauling the captain and thus cleaning the hull was deemed a little bit excessive 😀

[pappy1022]

Regent’s reputation is on the line every time they sail on every ship. So the comments weren’t directed at Explorer but at Regent. I would have been livid if I was on that specific cruise because that would have been a once in a lifetime cruise given the distance and the cost. 

[charltonkerry]

1 hour ago, pappy1022 said:

Regent’s reputation is on the line every time they sail on every ship. So the comments weren’t directed at Explorer but at Regent. I would have been livid if I was on that specific cruise because that would have been a once in a lifetime cruise given the distance and the cost. 

It was a cruise of a lifetime, but all I will say is that the final compensation package went a part way to our grand cruise in 2026 which happily replicates all the ports we missed in ‘23 and then goes the other way round Australia and up to Japan. I just thought it was a little unfair to appear to blame Explorer and its crew when in my opinion it was an error in Miami office. 
 

We have been on 3 regent cruise since then, and we have got over the incident and even have a laugh about with crew members we have come across who also where on board.

[Pcardad]

1 hour ago, charltonkerry said:

It was a cruise of a lifetime, but all I will say is that the final compensation package went a part way to our grand cruise in 2026 which happily replicates all the ports we missed in ‘23 and then goes the other way round Australia and up to Japan. I just thought it was a little unfair to appear to blame Explorer and its crew when in my opinion it was an error in Miami office. 
 

We have been on 3 regent cruise since then, and we have got over the incident and even have a laugh about with crew members we have come across who also where on board.

Agree. I have found Regent crew to be exceptional and any issues I have with the cruise line are with Miami.

[PaulMCO]

Currently on Explorer.  The decor is very subjective, but agree it has an "old" dark feel compared to Splendor, which is light and airy. Ship is well maintained.

 

Staff is great, food has been good and consistent-- only exception has been Chartreuse, where the food and service disappoints. Even Sete Mare which we did not like on Splendor has been excellent.  Love Compass Rose, only Crystal does this better.  Much better than SS or Seabourn.

 

Room is OK, we are in a PH on deck 8.  Bed is comfortable, lots of closet space, supersized shower (no tub).  Room attendant has been super.  Butler has been mehh.

 

Biggest issue is destination services and the excursions, this is an issue for both Regent and Oceania and it is a driven corporate issue.

 

We did the pre-cruise, Vibrant Tokyo.  Was very well organized, which is amazing for the contractor (Destinations Asia), handling 11 buses and 300 passengers so well.

 

Time to see Shanghai.. We were first here in 1980.

[briar14]

@PaulMCO, Boarding on Monday for 30 days. What are issues with Destination Services and excursions? Thanks.

Edited March 27 by briar14

[PaulMCO]

43 minutes ago, briar14 said:

@PaulMCO, Boarding on Monday for 30 days. What are issues with Destination Services and excursions? Thanks.

There is a whole thread about their excursions...  My post #43 explains my feelings.

 

 

[briar14]

1 hour ago, PaulMCO said:

There is a whole thread about their excursions...  My post #43 explains my feelings.

 

 

Thank you.

[papaflamingo]

On 3/27/2024 at 7:02 AM, briar14 said:

@PaulMCO, Boarding on Monday for 30 days. What are issues with Destination Services and excursions? Thanks.

We were on Explorer from Feb. 21-Mar 6, Hong Kong to Tokyo.  We had absolutely no issues with Destinations Services.  We had one port where the excursion had cancelled and we waitlisted for a different one and didn't clear.  We went to Destination Services as soon as we got on board and they quickly and cheerfully put us on the one we wanted and on another excursion in a port where we forgot to book anything.  And they were very easy to deal with when asking about town shuttles, etc.  So really no problems when we were on board. 

[DeepFreeze63]

Am on Explorer now. have had no difficulties with Destinations; they greatly helped with our private an tour of Kyoto.  They have handled the mechanics of getting us (including 295 "new-to- Regent") passengers out the door efficiently.