A great itinerary in Southeast Asia. This was my fifth Regent cruise, and found the overall experience very good, but slipped from past Regent Cruises. Ship recently refurbished and very attractive. Would have rated it excellent, but for the dining experience, which I found to have slipped compared to previous Regent cruises. Menu in the Compass Rose was adaquate, not particularly creative. Service was inconsistent for both food and wine. I understand that a major staff change was made in port, an explanation, not an excuse. Dinner in Prime 7 a big failure. Ordered a filet, medium. Received a filet well done on outside, red raw on the inside. Not certain how they did that, other than cooking meat not completely thawed.Other dining options Dining in Chartreuse a beautiful experience. An imaginative menu, perfect excecusion. Have always enjoyed Regent, bot there were enough stumbles to suggest looking at other cruise lines Read Less

This is only the second time that I have composed any dialogue regarding our many cruises around this unique planet. This cruise, on Regent SS "Explorer", was chosen by us more than two years ago. It takes a lot of discussion, a lot of planning, a lot of 'buyers' remorse, a lot of tender anticipation before deciding on the correct fit that an Ocean Going Cruise will make. Two years ago a significant birthday, for myself, was looming on the horizon and the two of us (TC2 and myself) wanted a cruise that would meet the requirements of that birthday. Since my birthday, by default, had two distinct dates ( another story, another time) the 2019 Explorer Cruise from Santiago to Los Angeles would be a perfect fit for both dates. Since we live in the northern area of the USA it can and does have very obtuse weather conditions during the winter. Our weather assumption, unfortunately, proved correct and caused us to change flights, incur unexpected hotel stays and invoke extra costs to an already expensive cruise. But, if we did not accomplish this we would never have reached the ship on time for embarkation. Taxi scams at the Santiago Airport added more frustration to our journey and being 'World travelers' we should have known better. The flight from Dallas/Fort Worth to Santiago, Chile. was made on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Comfortable and on time flight but we would never have made that flight had we not changed out flight from Vancouver to be one day earlier. However, our luggage arrived with us and having that not happen more than once, we were surprised. Boarding the "Explorer" ship and climbing the gangway to be greeted with a Champagne "Welcome Aboard" is always exciting, even though we have done this so many times. We have told each other, "do not take it for granted". We were, indeed, fortunate to obtain a 'Master Suite' due to a last minute 'upsell' which we offered to accept. It is a fine example of what Regent can put into a luxury ship. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms (one full) and a deck that commands more than 180 degree view as well as an expanse that would accommodate a Rothchild party. Put this together with Butler Service and it would be hard to find an equal. It just so happened that the "Discovery Channel" camera crew were on board with us filming for one of their episodes of "Mighty Cruise Ships". In order to cover the complete ship they need to film a Butler served dinner service en Suite. We were innocently chosen to be the couple that was provided this service. The episode will not air for about eights months but it certainly should be interesting and also give a boost to Regent. The Discovery Channel film crew attended my birthday get together. Balloons, festoons and canapes together with a full Marzipan cake for me and an Opera cake for TC2, baked by the Regent Pastry chef, all made it a Happy Birthday and unforgettable memorable occasion. The crew is always our second family and we look forward to greeting each one of them on our regular Regent cruises. General Manager, Massimo, met and greeted us as we boarded the ship and made sure that attention, care, service and safety were all prime. We particularly enjoyed being invited to an Explorer Suite on Deck Eight where we met and became extremely close with the guest of that suite. We also were fortunate to join, for cocktails in the Explorer Lounge, two outstanding guests, 'Master and Madame Echo'. I would like to comment on some items that Master Echo has reported on in his cruise critic review. 1) Electric cut off when you leave the suite. This items is about par for most hotels. I presume it is a method of conservation. However, since the ship provides its' own electricity you would think it is not necessary. It is most likely a safety item especially for batteries and chargers that are left plugged in. Because we don't want to keep putting the card key into the slot each time we enter we chooses to use either a cardboard or stiff paper insert and leave it is as long as we "own' the suite. It works fine for us. 2) Cabin cleanliness. I was surprised to learn that some funnel smut had collected in the room and also that a solitary and wayward grape had not been cleaned away. For our own experience we have found housekeeping to be above par but understand that some items can be missed. Where's that 'white' glove? 3) Vibration. Like individuals, we are different. So it goes for ships. We expected big things from Explorer when she came out. "This one is not going to vibrate and she is not going to have dischordent frequencies. She is going to be so stable you won't know your on a cruise!" Obviously not so. Every ship, again like ourselves has its' idiosyncrasies. They all creak, they all sway and they all have haunting vibrations. A super example of this is the "Navigator". It has always had problems. They have 'fixed' it several times, but it still has problems. If you 'fix' one frequency in one place it transfers to another. That is the ship world. Given the amount of weight on the Explorer, with glass, marble alloyed Prayer Wheels, etc. etc. it is a wonder that she even got our of Italy. 3) Water quality. Water quality on the ship is always a concern. It is conserved and osmetically re-cycled. Problems to emanate from rusty boilers but while it is unsightly it does affect the cleaning power. Personally, I found the shower water to be so clean that it left my shampoo squeaky clean. Most people do not realise that 'conditioners' change the structure off the hair and eradicate its' history. I do not think you can get away without putting chlorine into a swimming pool. It is ubiquidous. I found the Infinity Pool to be quite strong with this additive. 4) Gratuities. Regent classifies itself as "All Inclusive". Therefore you should never have to dig into your pocket for anything. Coming from the U.K. I am very stingy. I work for my money, I get a salary, I do expect anything else. The early coffee house in Britain in the 17th Century gave rise to the TIP. (To Insure Promptness) It has now grown, due mainly to American influence, some that is not just expected but demanded. It seems that if you do not give a 'Tip' you are embarrassed and the worker relies on this embarrassment. Regent contracts their employees. Their employees get paid well for what they do. Nowhere in the contract does it say, "Thou shalt receive a tip or extra awards for doing your job". Should you wish to contribute to a crew 'welfare' fund then do so, but you can do it without be embarrassed by it. I was extremely upset to see a head-waiter canvassing every table in Compass Rose, on the penultimate night, shaking hands with each customer and instructing them to make note of his name in the 'Comments' report. It was also noted that some exchange of dollars was taking place. 5) Explorations. The Ships' Destination Services has historical problems. Each of the port and each of the tours brings it's own problem. Dealing with contractor busses, variable languages, countries, ethnicities, safety, reliability, comfort, needs a lot of tact and experience. Transform this into on-board guests who always want to be first in the line at the supermarket and it can be a bee-hive to avoid. But, seeing the world and it's history is why we cruise. Patience! 6) Internet. On board Internet is almost a permanent failure. Contacting Satellites hovering 25,000 miles above the Earth is expected but cannot always be justified. Nature is, however always present. Climate, Gravity, Sun Spots and a myriad of galactic and global influences have a big influence on our Internet system. Just like the movies, we expect instant response but even electricity takes time to get from one place to another. Again, it pays to be patient and through in a little levity. I just wait until I get home. Just a word or two on Dining. The Pacific Rim on Explorer was a new and exciting addition. Being our fifth cruise on Explorer we had eaten in Pacific Rim several times. It took us four or five of those visits to finally grasp what the menu is about. Now, when we attend, we know what it is that we like and we have adjusted ourselves to the Asian Infusion method that type of cuisine. Service is always impeccable as provided by mostly Russian servers. Read Less

The navigator Sydney to Hong Kong 24 days. Expensive fr mediocrity...here’s what happened. Rusty pipes pumping orange water. Washing machines leave a rusty film on clothes. My wife got contact dermatitis.. the suite is small. The shower smalles I have ever seen. The casino is small and temp 86.4 F because the outdated slots pump heat better than a fireplace. I The issue is that the corporate office does not let ship staff make any decisions, they simply tell us what we want. Should listen to customers. Food was ok, and the staff was extremely cordial. So this old Russian icebreaker is a small ship. We had 380 passengers. After dinner, nothing to do until one show at 9:30. Did not have America’s best selling single Amalthea, Glen Livet..pitiful. Lectures were not looking cation specific, mostly about Roman times etc. I strongly recommend you not get fleeced with high cost, we pai about 60K including air. I would never step on this ship. It is a true bait and switch.. Pass on this loser masquerading as a luxury 6 star. What a joke. Get this, they block early morning walkers and people are walking in circles around the pool until the sun comes up. Corporate thinks it is dangerous. BTW, fitness joint opens doors at 7:30.,pretty good, when open. Read Less

We chose this cruise Because of the following factors 1.Itinerary 2.cruise line 3.offer of 3 day pre-cruise in Singapore This was our fourth cruise on Regent and our second on Mariner. Regent had raised their game since our last cruise with them in December 2014. In the MDR the “always available” section read like that of a high class Steak and Seafood restaurant with lobster ,scallops ,Alaskan king crab,Dover sole and a myriad of steak choices The included wines were a little ordinary but the pay for list was interesting and reasonably priced eg Cloudy Bay usd 60 Ray the cruise director was very visible and never seemed to have time off. The officers were friendly and we had great service from the efficient and engaging crew. The included shore excursions gave a good choice for the able bodied but less choice for anyone with mobility problems. This was not helped by the poor infrastructure in some ports. We enjoyed the enrichment lectures and watched a few of the shows. Overall a great holiday. The recent refit had greatly improved Mariner . The Singapore pre-cruise was based at The Swissotel the Stamford a five star hotel and the program of tours was well organised and of a high standard Read Less

We sailed From Tahiti to Sydney, Australia and this is a top notch cruise. We have cruised many times in the past and this was an excellent cruise. It was a small ship and that we liked. We did a sail on a ship that had 5,000 passengers and we said never again. Perfect size at only 500 people. Got a chance to not only meet other fine people but got familiar with the ship. We loved the dining options as we ate most meals in the Compase Rose. Alvin was our waiter and we requested him every time. The food was to die for as it was always excellent. No Complaints on this cruise. I do like the Idea of all costs are included up front so never have a huge bill after the cruise. Which brings me to the shore Excursions. They were all good. Quality for sure. I liked the Amadee Island at New Caledonia the best. It was an all day at the beach where we relaxed and snorkeled & did a kayak around the island. We did have to pay extra for this tour. All other tours are included in the price of the booking. I Like the idea you can easily change tours and they printed out a voucher right on the spot. So you were sure of what you got. They were the best organized of any cruise ship we have sailed. One time on another Cruise line, we got on a wrong bus and did a different tour than we wanted. This could never happen on a Regent Cruise. The Embarkation and Debarkation were excellent. We have sailed many times and this was without a doubt the best. The service was over the top and we booked another Regent Cruise it was that good. Everything from the Sydney & Beyond (Three extra nights), that we enjoyed very much as it went off without any hiccups, to the service was excellent. We have sailed many Cruise lines but this one is our Favorite line as we did and Alaska cruise on Regent two years ago. Regent does it right. We have sailed Princess, Costa, Norwegian, Celebrity, Holland America, and Carnival but Regent is best followed by Celebrity our Second best. We did a 20 day cruise this time and it was just right for us. I also liked the idea where the entertainers would meet and mingle with you. Twice we had entertainers sit down and chat with us. This is not allowed on other cruise lines. The Safety meeting (Mandatory) was the best ever. We did one on another cruise where a man fainted on deck doing the evac drill. But Regent did it in the theatre where you could relax and sit down while relaxed in air conditioning. We did a couple of the enrichments like the Lectures and the English guy who did the Lectures was very entertaining. We went to several of his lectures and also watched the ones we missed on the in room TV. I like the fact they did a nice Super Bowl spread in the theatre where you could eat, drink and watch the game. A special touch no other cruise line would think of doing. Everything was over the top and looking forward to our next Regent cruise. Read Less

We selected this cruise initially because of the advertised stop at Papua New Guinea. Otherwise, we had previously visited almost all the other ports. The day before we boarded, we were advised by our travel agent that Regent had canceled the stop at Papua New Guinea. There were 3 or 4 different reasons going around among passengers as to why, although we never learned. The ship was very nice, the service generally excellent. The staterooms (they called them "suites") were a bit small when compared with other ships or cruise lines in this category. We were on for 36 days, and storage was a bit tight. There was no chair in the stateroom, but there was a somewhat uncomfortable two person couch, with a large high table in front. It just made things even tighter. The bed was moderately comfortable. We were offered a choice of either a firm mattress, which was like a board, or a too soft mattress with no edge support. If you sat at the edge of the bed while getting dressed or putting on shoes, you would slide right off. The cabin decor was pleasant, but neutral. The bathrooms were somewhat small, with a large walk-in shower with good water pressure, and a single sink, not a double as one might expect on a ship of this category. Re food, breakfast was most often on the Verandah deck with a large selection buffet and table service offering most anything you might want. The French restaurant had spotty food, excellent foie gras appetizer. Most of the dishes were French in name only. The service was excellent. Prime Seven was the steak restaurant, with lots of steak and non-steak choices. We thought it consistently had the best food on the ship. The main dining room, the Compass Rose had a relatively large rotating selection, changing every night, plus a large choice of "standards", always available. The service there was spotty, some waiters very attentive and quick, others not so. The food here was good to average. We felt the food of Oceania, owned by the same company, NCL, was quite a bit better. Overall, the food ranged from bland to the point of tasteless to very salty. I recall that the veal medallions were actually thick chunks of veal. The tours were average, no better than the standard tours offered by most other cruise lines. The few that were more interesting, were available at an extra charge. The entertainment was typical of mid-size ships. There was the standard group of shipboard singers and dancers, although there were more of them than on other ships. The "stars" which were brought on in various ports, performing twice in their visit, were not any better than other lesser-rated cruise lines. The cruise director was very good and an excellent entertainer in his own right. The enrichment lectures were topical and generally very good. One lecturer, who was only on the ship for the earlier segment, was the best I have ever heard, and could even make a laundry-list sound exciting. The ship's common areas where typical of ships in this category, with the usual number of cocktail lounges, a coffee-shop, and a nice theater was evening shows. Overall, it was nice, but not exceptional. Other than the few extra cost port excursions, and better grade wines, everything is included. It is very nice not to be nickel-dimed as on many other lines. Our big complaint was the price. It was considerably more than other cruises lines, but the product which was delivered was no better than many other less expensive lines, even if you include the cost of alcohol and tours. Read Less

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

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BACKGROUND INFO: We have done many cruises on many different lines, Silversea, Seabourn, Azamara, Celebrity, RCCL, Holland America, Paul Gauguin. We have done majority of our cruises on Silversea and wanted to see what Regent was all about since fellow Silversea cruisers spoke highly of Regent. You never know if a cruise line is for you unless you try it for yourself. We live in Florida so we didnt need a hotel or airfare for this cruise, we just drove to the port of Miami and parked across the street from the ship which was very convenient. EMBARKATION: It was a bit slower than usual for a smaller ship but I think that was because we arrived right when 2 buses pulled up filled with passengers from the local hotel. But considering the number of people arriving at the same time, we were process fairly quickly and easily. We stepped on the ship and were immediately greeted with a glass of champagne and were informed that our suites were already available so we made our way to our suite to drop off our hand luggage. CABIN: We had a deluxe veranda, suite 816, slightly forward of mid ship. Room is good size..comparable to the type of room we get on Silversea and Seabourn. This ship was refurbished a couple years ago we were told but there were elements in the room that didnt seem to have been changed. The cabinetry in the bathroom looked kinda old. The room was decorated nicely, but didn’t have a luxurious wow factor. Just nice. The room did lack in storage. There is a nice walk in closet typical of most luxury ships but it lacked storage in the room. Normally in the living area, there are drawers or some type of wall storage , but there was none. No shelving on either side of tv. And below tv, was just a desk, with a fridge on one side and a big cabinet full of glasses which is wasted space. Only 2 tiny drawers in bedside tables. We did like the high and large coffee table in front of sofa as it was perfect both in size and height for room service. Bed was very comfortable, one of the most comfortable on a luxury ship. Water pressure was great and we had fantastic suite attendants who maintained the room. Everything was always perfect. We could hear our neighbors a bit through the walls, which was a first for us. Usually we hear nothing. SHIP: . After unpacking we explored the ship. Its a nice ship and we could notice many of the public areas that had received refurbishment. But there seemed to be a disconnect in terms of style. In some places, it seemed kinda modern luxury, other places sort of French in style...didnt seem to flow well, but was still pretty and ship appeared to be in good condition. We loved the huge pool deck area with lots of chairs. Larger than what we expected but during the cruise we did find it difficult to find a couple chairs together. Pool was always packed and forget about trying to get a lounger in the shade along the sides....folks must get out there early to lay their claim. We also enjoyed that large walking track above the pool and the putting green, shuffleboard , croquet at front of ship. DINING: Food is very subjective but we found the buffets at breakfast and lunch to be lacking in variety compared to Silversea and Seabourn’s buffets. After a couple days we avoided the buffet. Normally for breakfast we ate at Compass Rose which is the main dining room and for lunch we always ate at the pool grill, both were pretty good. Nothing to write home about, but good. They seemed to shine when it came to dinner. Everything we had was very good. I thought the variety on the main dining room menu was better than Silversea and SEabourn. They have one side of the menu of items always available (same every night) and the other side is chefs specials. Food was excellent. It did seem that perhaps they are short handed in the dining room. Service was good, but waiters always seemed worn out and rushed due to the number of tables they were responsible for. The specialty restaurants were Sette Mari, (Italian), Chartreuse ( French)and Prime 7 (steakhouse). We ate all of them and found them all to be excellent! Service was probably the best at Sette Mari. My only complaint is their reservation system for reserving specialty restaurants. You have 2 mos before cruise to reserve a table at Prime 7 and Chartreuse. Once on board the first day, I tried to get a 2nd res at Prime 7 but was told no , that I had to wait until day 3 to ask for a second one. They want to give everyone a chance to eat there at least once. But in my opinion,everyone has had 2 mos to reserve a table, if you fail to plan your cruise, res should open to anyone first come first served once on board. They also are lacking table for 2... mostly big tables and we dont like to share tables. I dont want to meet strangers at dinner. So this was a big negative for us. ENTERTAINMENT AND ACTIVIITIES: Typical of most luxury cruises, its a mix of the ship’s singer/dancers/performers and then random one man shows. We did all the ship’s performers nights but skipped all the other evenings. Their performers are good, but the productions are obviously not of the quality and wow factor of a bigger ship...so it was par for the course for a luxury cruise...entertaining but again nothing to write home about. The only show we skipped was one that was music from before our time. Same with the one man shows ...the content didnt sound interesting to us (46 and 51). The shows appeal to an older crowd, which is the majority of their clientele ...at least on our cruise, the average age was much older. We were definitely one of the youngest on board. We didnt participate in other activities such as trivia, bridge etc...all the usual ones... SERVICE: Regent truly excels here. Service was excellent across the board. We met a lot of wonderful crew members who treated us like gold....felt like we were good friends right from the beginning ! We had dinner one night with one of the ship’s officers and he couldn’t have been nicer. Sometimes, those dinners can be awkward and tedious trying to find common ground to discuss, but it was super easy and fun with him. EXCURSIONS: Excursions are included in price of cruise. We did excursions at every stop except for Grand Cayman and Key West. Excursions were fine, some better than others. OUr favorite was ATVs in both Cozumel and Costa Maya. Our least favorite was Mayan ruins in Belize...that was mainly because of the terrible old school buses they use ...extremely bumpy ride and it was a lot of driving. Couldn’t wait to be done with it. Harvest Caye Belize’s is a private island owned by Norwegian and its fantastic!!! we would love to go back. This place is beautiful with lots to do fo everyone . There’s a huge beach with hundreds of chairs, restaurants, bars, shopping, zip line, water sports....aviary...its awesome!!!! A must do!!!!! Wish we had skipped our excursion here and spent more time on the private island. Read Less