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September 24, 2022

Welcome back on board Seven Seas Explorer, where were we? You can read the Part 1 here or continue reading! Enjoy!

First impressions make lasting impressions and that was certainly the case with Seven Seas Explorer. We entered into the beautiful atrium with music playing (live music would be better) and were met with a glass of champagne. Our suite was not yet ready so off we went to enjoy lunch in La Veranda. Almost instantly I could feel how spacious and luxurious the ship felt.

That first lunch did not disappoint and was a preview of the wonderful cuisine & service we would enjoy the forthcoming week. Our suite was ready around 1pm and we made our way to Deck 8, cabin 860. This was a E-Concierge category stateroom. I absolutely loved this stateroom and it’s a top five favorite of any ship I’ve sailed. The layout was great, with the bed facing the window & doors for amazing views. Tons of drawer space and a perfect sized walk-in closet. The bathroom was beautifully appointed with double sinks, a full size tub and separate walk-in shower. Water pressure was excellent and there was no fluctuation of temperature. I enjoyed all the attention to detail, as honestly that is what really sets an experience apart these days. It’s all about the detail. Luxury bath products; robes & slippers; binoculars; umbrella; live orchid; welcome champagne; stocked mini-bar; coffee/espresso maker; card key holders; welcome letter; wool blanket; cashmere throws; interactive tv with a great selection of movies and music. I requested some rum for the mini-bar and to my surprise a full bottle of rum was promptly delivered. A standout for me was an actual bedspread. I know that sounds silly but I’m so tired of the standard white duvet with runner that is found on every single cruise ship and hotel room these days. Funny enough the bedspread was only put out on embarkation day but it was a nice touch. The live orchid was also a standout, but probably my favorite standout were the metal refillable water bottles by vero. These were yours to keep and they could be refilled at any number of water refill stations around the ship. I always used the one at the Coffee Connection. The water was delicious and it came out ice cold, with your choice of still or sparkling. We made great use of these both in the cabin and on shore excursions.

We only used room service for breakfast, and it was always served promptly on our choice of the coffee table or balcony, and beautifully displayed. What a great was to start the day, and we are not even breakfast people. Like on other luxury ships you can opt to have dinners in your cabin ordered off the dining room menu, served course by course if you so desire. Our cabin steward was awesome. Besides an introduction the first day we never saw him. Like magic he would service the cabin twice a day without fail. I believe the bed sheets were changed almost every day if not every day which I have not experienced on other ships. Also you did not see cleaning carts and supplies sitting in cabin corridors like on other ships. It was much more discreet. One final detail worth mentioning is laundry. Regent will launder one bag per day of laundry at no charge. We sent out a couple bags during the cruise and the way it returned the next day impressed me to no end. The clean laundry would be waiting on your bed after dinner in these grey Regent boxes, all wrapped in Regent tissue paper. Absolutely beautiful presentation for something as simple as laundry. Should you desire to do your own laundry there were laundry rooms available on most passengers decks. These are not like laundry rooms I’ve seen on other ships. First they are spotless, kept quite cool, complimentary, and have beautiful lighting fixtures, chairs & couches, art, and a large flat panel TV. You can even have room service delivered to one if the mood strikes. That is the kind of attention to detail that sets Regent apart.

Seven Seas Explorer was built in 2015 but for all intents and purposes she felt brand new. Everything was in pristine condition and I saw virtually no wear & tear. Inside and out she was spotless and as well maintained as the day she entered service. As I mentioned earlier the ship’s original marketing campaign was a bit off-putting to me, but now having experienced the ship first hand I can say she is likely the most lavish and expensive feeling ship I’ve sailed on. The attention to detail in her design, the choice of art (original works by Picasso & Chagall), fabrics, and fittings are all top notch. There was no skimping and it shows. She borrows some traits from her cousin the Marina Class at Oceania, but Regent takes it all to the next level with a better layout, more windows facing the sea, and space.

For a ship this size the amount of public space is unparalleled. On a ship space equals luxury and that is certainly the case here. My favorite spaces were the extravagant atrium area, the art-deco inspired Explorer Lounge, the magnificent Compass Rose dining room with its gorgeous chandelier, and the topside forward facing observation lounge. Even La Veranda, the buffet restaurant felt luxurious and nothing like a typical buffet restaurant. Outdoor areas were also lovely, with a full teak lined pool deck, a large tiled heated swimming pool, plenty of luxury cushioned sun loungers (shaded or open to the sun), an outdoor but sheltered Pool Grill, an aft open deck dining extension of La Veranda, and down on Deck 6 a partial wrap-around promenade deck leading to the aft spa deck.

The Serene Spa had a fantastic aft open deck with infinity heated spa pool overlooking the stern. I loved this pool even though it was a bit warm for me. Inside were men’s & women’s facilities including sauna, cold room, experience showers, and steam room. These facilities were open to all at no extra charge. Nice touch. No venue ever felt crowded but it never felt empty either. It was just a very pleasant balance of people and space.

Unlike some other luxury and premium cruises the ship felt alive and was not a dead zone at 10pm. After dinner there was usually a show and a choice of venues for live music and dancing. Even a nightclub of sorts for the late crowd. Surprisingly this cruise had a fairly low average age.  We were expecting 60 to be the average, but it might have been more like 40. Lots of younger couples and even some large families with kids. Yes there were older couples as well but overall the feeling was younger & vibrant. We only saw one show and I was surprised how large the production show cast was for such a small ship. Rather quaint is how many staff members onboard have double duties. This really reminded me of how cruising was 30-40 years ago when the average ship size was that of Seven Seas Explorer. For instance the cruise director also sings and hosted his own show, as did both the social hostess and assistant cruise director. One of the dancers checked us in during embarkation. Those little tidbits reminded me of cruising in yesteryear before everything became so big.

The dining experience

On to the most important aspect of any cruise, the dining experience. I’ll cut to the chase and say this cruise probably offered the best overall dining experience of any ship I’ve sailed. This is not to say I haven’t had exceptional dining experiences on other ships, I have. I’m talking overall. Up to now I would say Oceania’s RIVIERA was the forerunner with maybe Celebrity APEX not far behind. Regent took the best aspects of Oceania and raised the bar even higher. The selection, quality, ingredients, presentation, service, and most importantly taste were all first rate.

We dined at every restaurant the ship offered, from the Pool Grill to Chartreuse. I can honestly say I enjoyed every one of them. While excellent specialty restaurants are common even on mass-market ships, the much more difficult task is an exceptional main dining room experience. This is where Regent really excelled with the Compass Rose.  The menu is extensive with a huge selection of available every day items, plus another page of exclusive never repeated items unique to that day. I loved that side items are ordered individually and nothing is pre-plated. Entrees are prepared to order. Service was always exceptional, efficient but not stuffy, and quite friendly. Unlike Oceania where I found the wait staff to be proficient but standoffish, on Regent the wait staff were always friendly and more than willing to chat if you so desired.

Something else I have not seen in probably 30+ years are dated menus.  This means that days selection will be used once and once only, not to be repeated again. Very impressive. Back in the day this was the norm, but now most ships see menus created by head office and if it’s Tuesday, then the set Tuesday menu will be used. Also up to the task were the surroundings. Versace china, crystal glasses, silver flatware, comfortable seating and beautifully designed spaces. The chandelier in the Compass Rose is especially impressive, along with the very high ceilings. All creating a luxurious atmosphere of space. The specialty restaurants were more intimate, and each offered a unique and exceptional dining experience. Needless to say I ate very well this cruise and my expanding waistline proved it!

Funny enough a standout for me was Sette Mari at La Veranda. Perhaps expectations were low because essentially this was the buffet restaurant transformed for dinner, but I have to say it was exceptional and the sunset over Santorini was an added bonus. One nice feature on Regent is that on port day lunches, one of the specialty restaurants is used. This is a great way to dine twice in your favorite specialty restaurant if a second dinner reservation is hard to come by. If there was a miss I would say it was the Pool Grill. The atmosphere was busy and a little loud, and some ventilation fans would have been welcomed as it’s outside and gets toasty. The burgers and fries were just so-so and I consider myself somewhat of a burger connoisseur.

My story ends here for today, I look forward to seeing you next week for the end of this experience on board Seven Seas Explorer! (part 3)

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Ernie Roller

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