Relaxation in luxury. Although far more expensive than some of its competitors I believe this cruise line gives value for money. Its detail tp the design of the cabins are well thought out with loads of space even for the most discerning traveller. The entertainment was first class and was viewed in total comfort of individual seats, if one so wished. Tables around the seats allowed for your drinks to be within easy reach. The theatre offered good views of the stage no matter where you sat. The specialty restaurants were diverse and true to their character. Swimming pool of a reasonable size for a cruise ship. On the top deck there was a mini golf and various other ways to entertain oneself if not desiring to sunbath. An amazing amount of sunbeds which well cared for by diligent willing staff. Personally, would travel with Regent Cruise line again should the opportunity present itself. I have no reservation recommending this cruise line. Read Less

This was our first ocean cruise, but I am sure that it cannot get any better than this cruise experience on Regent Explorer. We stayed in a Penthouse A suite (917), which is beautiful and very functional room, with a huge balcony. The walk-in closet in the Penthouse suite is a bit small, but we still managed to fit the contents of two big suitcases into to it without any problem. The empty suitcases can conveniently be stored under the bed. The shower cabin is absolutely fantastic and so is the quality of the bed. We arrived at the pier in Rio de Janeiro for embarkation at around 1:30pm and we were onboard 15 minutes later. Everything was so well organised, and it continued like that throughout the cruise. The cruise was fully booked, but the only time it felt crowded was upon embarkation when everyone was having lunch in the Veranda/Pool restaurants, but after the suites became available, it never felt crowded again. We initially didn't really know what to use the butler for, but he turned out to be extremely helpful and useful. He really made us feel special and pampered. He served a couple of breakfast on our terrace, which was a wonderful way to start the day. We were generally totally amazed by the service, which is very attentive and rather personal. During our 12 nights cruise from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires, we had three dinners in each of the restaurants Compass Rose, Prime 7, Pacific Rim and Chartreuse. We also had several lunches in the speciality restaurants. The food was generally very good to excellent. We were not fans of Sette Mare/La Veranda, as the place looks a bit like a canteen. Furthermore, we were not impressed by the breakfast, which was exactly the same every day and some of products were rather cheap/industrial, and the fruit was often unripe. We are in our early fifties and were surprised to be among a relatively young crowd without a single wheelchair or rollator onboard, perhaps because the cruise included many anchor ports. Some of the ports of call were great, while some were very forgettable. The same goes for the excursions. We had two fantastic biking trips. We don't really care about the shows, lecturers etc., so I will not comment on that. We used the gym daily, which was really great, spacious and lots of equipment. I also had two nice massages in the spa. The weather was hot and sunny throughout the cruise, but it was surprisingly easy to get sun-loungers around the pool. Only on our single sea day, it became rather busy. The ship is absolutely gorgeous and in perfect condition. The all-inclusive concept is really great, but also a little dangerous as we definitely ended up eating and drinking too ;-) We loved our first ocean cruise experience and now look forward to the next on Regent Splendor. Read Less

We traveled on this cruise with another couple but also met some delightful passengers during the trip. Embarkation was quick and easy. Our suite was lovely and spacious (Explorer Suite) but not set up according to our pre cruise requests. The bar and bedding were totally wrong as they must have mixed us up with another passenger’s requests. This was our second cruise on the Explorer having sailed on her two years previously. Throughout the cruise, our cabin stewards kept our suite in immaculate condition. Always friendly and cheerful. Our butler was okay, always very rushed.Except for bringing us room service for breakfast and canapés at 5 pm, we didn’t see or hear from him (nor did we really need him for anything). Unfortunately, our shipped bags didn’t arrive in time to make the ship’s departure. However, Executive Concierge Jeff offered us free laundry, a small OBC and 25% off of Boutique purchases of clothing and sundries. We very much appreciated that gesture on the part of Regent. (Our Luggage arrived one week later when we docked in Port Elizabeth). Overall, the ship is a delight to behold especially over the holidays with gingerbread decorations and Christmas trees everywhere. I was surprised to see so few children on board during this time. Those who were appeared remarkably well behaved. The fitness center and spa are top notch and spacious. No problems with any services received (except for the exorbitant prices). But, hey, it is vacation. We had several ports cancelled due to weather so destination services were quite busy handling the changes. I have to say they did a great job doing so and always with a smile. We weren’t impressed with the cruise director. You rarely saw her in public spaces except when it called for her presence. She didn’t engage passengers unless she was approached. I thought it odd that when she spoke to an audience pre or post show or other venues, she never made eye contact with the audience. She just focused on the microphone. Maybe I am just spoiled by cruise directors like John Baron who is certainly the exact opposite. Some folks don’t care about CD but I am one who believes he/she sets the tone for the entire cruise. Very disappointing.. And, front desk staff, what can I say...some, not all,were.just awful. I can understand the repetitive nature of the job can be stressful but rudeness is not acceptable at any time. Entertainment was good. An entertaining comedian and magician made for enjoyable evenings. We wondered why Regent provides the same shows such as Revolution and Paradis. We saw the same shows two years ago. And, can we get some classical entertainment? Many passengers spoke of their desire to hear classical music. In fact, we were traveling with an internationally known classical pianist who was willing to give an impromptu presentation in the lounge, etc.but were told by the CD that the dreaded “Corporate’” doesn’t allow. Finally, food and beverage. Sommeliers were excellent and always willing to find something you liked if not pleased with the daily offering. But, wait service was a real problem. I could not believe the inconsistency of service between restaurants and within restaurants. For example, Pacific Rim provided outstanding service and food on the 3 times we dined there. So did Chartreuse. However, Prime 7 provided the absolute worst service at both lunch and dinner (5 times). They were the worst when we sailed two years ago. Sad to see it hasn’t changed. Now, Compass Rose, is where we have the problem as it will depends on who you receive as a waiter. As this was a full cruise one couldn’t always sit in the preferred waiter’s station. I suppose the variation can be expected but we are talking about waiters who had trouble using the IPads when taking orders and claiming that certain menu items weren’t available. The biggest issue and most egregious was how they handled a food allergy issue. (I noted food allergies pre cruise) I am deathly allergic to red wine. I ordered a veal dish (no red wine sauce described on the menu) and when brought to me I asked if the sauce contained red wine. The waiter didn’t know but went to the galley to ask. When he came back I was told “ no red wine is in the sauce..” Great, I proceeded to take several bites and about 5 minutes later the waiter came rushing back to say that the sauce DID have red wine in it. Totally unacceptable. Fortunately, I only ate a small amount but it was enough to make me ill for 24 hours. I was assured that they would not make the same mistake again. The food and beverage manager contacted me the next day to apologize but she was so focused on saying that they didn’t have the allergy in their system versus the fact that the waiter made the error as noted previously by telling me there was no red wine in the sauce. (Thanks to the aforementioned, I did get to visit the medical clinic who provided great care. And, finally, remember the gracious offer of the 25% discount in the boutiques due to delayed luggage. It was supposed to be reflected on my final statement, but it wasn’t. No time on the morning on disembarkation to deal with it so will try Regent corporate. So, all in all, although I have 4 cruises booked on Regent over the next two years, I am going to have to think about sailing with them a little bit more once I am able to reflect on my experience as time passes. Read Less

We chose this cruise the very first day it came out. We'd done North Africa and wanted to do South Africa with a pre-cruise safari. Regent did a fantastic job providing us with a Shamwari 5 Star game resort where we were so lucky to have seen and photographed a leopard and a white rhino at sunset against a setting sun. Our suite onboard was very convenient to the elevators and our cabin attendant was so attentive. The food was fantastic as well as the musicals. The weather however proved a bit of a disappointment as we had to forgo a port in Nambibia and Mozambique. Internet service was problematic and the food too salty. Salt shakers are on every table so why not use those? The only disappointment was the awlful air routing to and from Cape Town that resulted in 10+hours spent in Lufthansa's Frankfort's lounge going and coming. This was our third Regent cruise and the second one with Captain Serena who is an outstanding, vivacious captain. Spending Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Years Day was truly one of our most memorable cruises. The 1600 photos we took are indeed a photographer's dream come true. Read Less

We chose this cruise for its itinerary having sailed from Dubai to Cape Town via East Africa with Regent three years ago (a cruise which rated as one of the best we have ever done). A bonus was a chance to sail on the Explorer. We chose the pre-cruise experience on offer in Lisbon as the post cruise with a Safari meant coming home on Christmas Day! Pre-Cruise - Lapa Palace - good hotel but too far out of town and no good bars or restaurants nearby. Also, the buses couldn't get to it causing problems for excursions and transfer to boat. Not well organised. the second excursion was a disaster! Sintra was vaguely interesting but poor organisation meant a mile walk for coffee, loads of food which no one wanted and long delays resulting in lunch not arriving until well into the afternoon. The transfer to the boat was also poor. This is not the first time we have felt that Regent need to vet the pre and post tour operators more carefully. Initially the Explorer is much more impressive than any of the other three Regent ships despite their valiant attempts to upgrade them to match. You do feel this is luxury. Sadly, the ship did not live up to expectations. Suite, service and food were good, but lack of outside space spoilt the voyage. Very lush inside but if you wanted to sit outside it was a sunbed or one of ten or so seats at the pool bar. We enjoy sitting on deck during the morning and early evening with a coffee or drink. There is nowhere to do this other than the very limited seating round the pool bar which does not get the sun. Eating on the balcony of Veranda was good when the weather was fine, and it was open, but it shut for three days with no good explanation given! Something to do with a crew member getting bitten we heard eventually. Strange because we never saw an insect on the boat! The Pool Grill is mainly covered in. It was good to see they have got rid of the sauce bottles and some of the food was very good e.g. prawn skewers but the main choice was largely burgers (we don't consider that five-star luxury) and the whole place in our view resembles a diner. We did appreciate the speciality restaurants opening at lunchtime. The itinerary was as expected but not as interesting as East Africa, partly because the ports had little to offer (not Regent's fault). Destination Services did a good job in a difficult part of the world and we enjoyed the excursions. We were, however, disappointed not to go to Togo. Togo was taken out at what was said to be the last minute with no alternative provided. There has been unrest in Togo for a considerable time and with elections coming up on the 20th December this was clearly unlikely to abate. Regent are risk adverse at the best of times (which I understand although I do not necessarily agree with decisions) so it would seem clear that the chances of going to this port were slim. If indeed this was a last-minute decision, as said, then I agree it would be difficult to provide an alternative. However, the decision not to go should have been taken much earlier and provision other than sailing around the Atlantic in a circle made! Sao Tome early and Walvis for two nights perhaps. We choose cruises for the itinerary and while we are aware that ports may be omitted it appears to be quite a regular occurrence with Regent (more than with say Silversea or Seabourn). Entertainment was similar to other Regent Cruises - we don't generally participate in this and find daytime activities very uninteresting unless an early show is put on. Sally Jones was good, as usual and we appreciated her re-arranging her show due to illness. We did feel that there was an overemphasis on the classical pianist. It would be nice to see something other than Trivia, cooking demonstrations and bingo. Disembarkation in Cape Town was efficient, and the City tour we booked to fill the time before the flight good. Overall a good cruise but not one of Regent’s best. Read Less

We had heard of regent cruise thought we should check it out. The ship was in great shape having been recently remodeled. We had a large room, probably too large but it was nice We had a butler who was very attentive and met all of our needs. While we are not foodies per se the food was more than acceptable. The options for the food were extensive. We had canapés brought to our suite nightly. Our suite was stocked with favorite adult beverages ranging from beer to out desired alcohol. Off boat excursions were plentiful and for the most part included. We were somewhat disappointed that the ship left port at either 5 or 6 nightly. We would have liked to spend an evening in the casino at Monte Carlo or had some local food at say Sicily or Capri. The distances were such that they appeared to be close enough to depart a bit later. We thought that the attentiveness and dedication of the staff was above most other cruises we have been on. They were very attentive and we anxious to make everyone happy. The dining selections included steak .italian, salad bar,Asian and French. Poolside grill was always a good place to have a small dinner. One observation which was rather curious. The ship was 40% Asian. Regent we were told, has changed focus and is now marketing their product to the chinese populous. Rather interesting we were sitting with a couple from Hong Kong. They were not pleased for they had talked to mainline chinese and had found out that these people had paid 40% less than they paid. As a result of the concentration of the chineses it was felt that the food was more focused on their needs than on other cruises, unfortunately the mainline folks are more of a rush and don’t respect ques or lines. Funny the Hong Kong Chinese had a bigger problem with the mainline folks than the rest of us. I will look into this new focus on the part of Regent to find out if this is in fact the case. If so this may influence our future choices. Entertainment was more on the site of mediocre. After 2 shows we just decided to skip. Read Less

Although I had sworn I would not sail Regent again after a terrible experience a few years back on Mariner (Istanbul-Istanbul), I was tempted by the new ship, positive comments by other cruisers and a convenient itinerary in the Med. A good price didn't hurt either! By way of background, we are regular cruisers on Seabourn (Gold) and Hapag-Lloyd Europa Gold), as well as 3 Crystal cruises (Silver (including their Yacht) and 1 Oceania Marina cruise. We are Silver on Regent. We were blown away by the pre-cruise transfers and hotel. Everything went super smoothly - plenty of staff available, private water taxi to Hotel Danieli in Venice, private water taxi to ship the next day. Air (inc. a deviation in Barcelona where we stayed longer) also very seamlessly handled. The Explorer is a beautiful ship, well laid out and with plenty of space. Although the ship was full, it never felt that way. We loved our PH (1408) - great location - and we got an excellent butler (Vinit). That is not always a given, believe me. I thought the hallway entry way space was not efficiently utilized though - a place to hang coats would be nice. Service was wonderful: consistently personable, always with a smile, attentive. They had plenty of staff, so we never waited in any of our dining venues, even when Compass Rose was full, especially after Captain's events, shows, etc. Never a problem. Dining: We were only able to secure 1 extra reservation (in Prime 7) in addition to the 3 allowed. Food was a disappointment for us. Nothing drastically wrong, just uninspired. Dishes sounded wonderful on paper, but really didn't deliver on the plate. Pacific Rim, which we really were looking forward to, was pretty watered down Asian cuisine. There were a few stand-out dishes (Miso black cod for one) but the sides were generally bad: The fried vegetable rice and the stir fried noodles (both recommended by our server) were gummy and inedible. We liked Chartreuse, Prime 7 was also fine. Compass Rose did better with standard items than adventurous ones, so if you're a steak/lobster/shrimp/repeat kind of person, I think you would be happy. Big negative for us: The wine. The first time in all my cruises, and I do mean all, that I was unsuccessful in obtaining a list (even hand written) of what complimentary wines they had. I asked our butler, our servers, every sommelier, including the head sommelier. What is important to me, as a trained Court of Masters Sommelier, is which winery the wine comes from. The 'somms' and servers I think are trained to stick to their story and not offer additional information. If you find out on your own, then you can have them if you ask. (I saw an Oyster Bay SB and an Ancient Vines Zin, for example, on another table.) Even a mid cruise comment card, detailing my woes, brought no response. I do understand that for 90% (maybe more) of the passengers, those 2 offerings per night were just fine. We're not cocktail drinkers, although we tried a couple here and there. It seems the cocktails are more the focus than wine. Explorer has many lovely bar venues with a wide range of cocktails and high quality liquor available. Shore excursions were about what you would expect from included offerings: Buses, sometimes several going to the same spot, with about 30 people per bus. Tour guides were not very good, and I was reminded of why we book independent arrangements :-). We did pay for 1 tour (to Syracuse) and it was certainly not any better than the 'free' tours. Disembarkation went as smoothly as embarkation. To sum it up, while I overall still prefer SB and Hapag Lloyd and Crystal, I would cruise with Regent again on Explorer (and possibly new ship Ovation) if the itinerary and price were right. Wouldn't do over 14 days though - food and wine not good enough to stay longer. Read Less

Excellent cruise. Major issue with significant food allergy management at start but response from three people ( restaurant manager, dining reservation staff member and head waiter in Compass Rose ) completely resolved situation and ensured a smooth and seamless service for the remainder of cruise. This was professionalism at its best in this setting. Really no strong complaints about anything significant. Attention to refilling cabin minibar with requested drinks could have been better but otherwise cabin service very quick and responsive. Quite a noisy atmosphere in all dining areas ( guests ). Service excellent. Food superb and very varied. The general decor quite subdued and frankly dark in areas- may suit some and not others. Entertainment average as billed so did not avail ourselves. Would have appreciated more guest entertainers with perhaps opera / classical rather than just a film! Viewing from upstairs in theatre difficult as restricted by barriers Would certainly consider going again with this line. Read Less

We had a marvelous time on this cruise. It was our first time on the Explorer, after having sailed on the Voyager (once) and the Navigator (World Cruise 2017 and Cape Town to Rio 2018). Things got off to a bit of a rough start at the Copenhagen Marriott. The morning of embarkation the restaurant was swamped with a very long line for breakfast, and bus #1 delivered us to the wrong ship in the port! It was easily rectified as the Explorer was right next door. We loved the itinerary, even though it was port intensive. Every day was a new adventure! We especially liked our 3 days in Saint Petersburg, including the Grand Imperial Evening of the Tsars, and the fact that we hired a private guide and driver for day 2. The Senior Officers included Serena Melani, Captain; Davor Josipovic, General Manager; Food and Beverage Director Stephane Carriou, Cruise Director Andy Heath, and his wife Tammy, Social Hostess. All were excellent in their jobs. This was our first time sailing with Captain Serena. She was very personable and often seen talking and mingling with the passengers. It was also our first time sailing with Andy and Tammy. They are a great team, always positive, and very talented! Loved their shows, especially The Beatles! We also enjoyed our class in the Culinary Kitchen, "Gone Fishing", taught by Linda Miller, a CIA in Hyde Park graduate. It was lots of fun, very informative, and delicious! Terry Bishop, Lecturer and Performer, was also terrific. We had the pleasure of meeting Terry on the World Cruise, and he can do it all! Lecture, sing, play the guitar, tell stories; always entertaining! The Production Cast was great, very talented! We have seen World Beat about 5 times now, and we think this was the best one yet! Other shows we saw with them performing were My Revolution and Paradis. Destination Services did a great job in getting us off on excursions in a timely manner. All were very helpful and pleasant. The ship is beautiful and we really enjoyed sampling some newer (to us) restaurants. Pacific Rim was great, and we also enjoyed Chartreuse. La Veranda/Sette Mari was a disappointment esthetically. It felt more like a large cafeteria. We really prefer this space on the Navigator. Read Less

We thought the ship was gorgeous and the suites were great. However our shower backed up and flooded our bathroom until it was finally fixed on day 6. Certain things struck me odd. On the TV it welcomed only my husband when we booked as a couple. The food was not anything special. We gave up on room service as it was always cold. Never had that problem on other ships. The staff was very nice and so was the cruise director. For the most part, the entertainment was very good. The tour guides were mixed. Most of them talked so much my ears were ringing but we had a few that were really great. On previous ships, if you did not have a reservation at one of the speciality restaurants you could show up and try to get in. Often it worked but Regent does not allow that to happen. It was an enjoyable 10 days but I think for the price we were expecting more. Read Less