Seven Seas Explorer: A successful cruise (part 3)

October 1, 2022

Here we are at the end of the story of my fantastic expeience with Regent on board Seven Seas Explorer, you can read the part 1 and part 2 here, otherwise enjoy!

This cruise was port intensive and I’m not a fan of port intensive cruises. In fact my favorite itinerary is a transatlantic crossing with no ports at all. It’s one reason I sail on Cunard’s QM2 quite often. This cruise though fit the bill for a variety of reasons, but I would have certainly enjoyed some days at sea to enjoy the ship. In fact there were no sea days this cruise, although we enjoyed some spectacular cruising along the coasts of Italy, Greece, and Turkey. Just stunning. We had been to all these ports before except for Gythion and Amalfi.

Amalfy Italy

Gythion

The port of Amalfi offered the opportunity to explore Positano which did not disappoint. It’s something I have been wanting to do ever since seeing the movie Under the Tuscan Sun. In Catania we returned to the quaint oceanside town of Taormina which is as charming as ever. Santorini is always a delight but it was the most crowded we have ever seen it, which took away from some of its charms. In fact it was over an hour wait to take the cable-car back down the mountainside to tender back to the ship. Getting up was no wait at all. The fact there were five ships in port didn’t help matters. Another reason we will avoid the Mediterranean during the summer months. We did take advantage of the included excursions that Regent includes on every sailing. Frankly they left me a bit meh. I’m not sure what I was expecting but they were no different than the excursions I’ve experienced on the mega-ships. Everything was well organized, but I thought perhaps they would be a bit elevated in some way being Regent. They weren’t. Maybe the excursions you pay for have that elevated experience, but that sort of defeats the purpose of having them included.

Positano

Santorini

Taormina

Disembarking Seven Seas Explorer was effortless and very well organized. In fact they even offer full room service breakfast on your disembarkation morning which was unexpected. I can honestly say I felt like I was 15 years old again and didn’t want to get off that ship! No I didn’t have a tantrum but I could have easily stayed onboard another week. I can’t say that about every cruise I take. I always enjoy them but usually I’m ready to get off at the end. That wasn’t the case here. We took a cab to our post-cruise hotel in Athens called the in[n]Athens which I thoroughly enjoyed. I would absolutely stay here again. The hotel wasn’t luxurious but it was charming and fully remodeled, and in the heart of Athens. Best of all the a/c worked like a charm which was welcomed with temperatures in the mid-90’s. Our journey home was a 26-hour ordeal going through both JFK and Atlanta but it everything was on time and our luggage made it safe and sound. So really nothing to complain about except a very long day and night.

Balcony Breakfast

Athens

In closing I think it’s apparent my first Regent cruise was a roaring success. It was truly one of my best experiences at sea. This is not to say there were not some areas of opportunity. There were which I will outline here, along with some standout details that truly impressed me. Please keep in mind these suggestions in no way impacted the cruise and are minor, but are ways Regent can elevate the experience and stay ahead of the competition. The luxury market competition is tough after all and getting even tougher. New entrants like Explora Journeys, Scenic, Emerald, Ritz Carlton Yacht Club, the return of Crystal, and even rumors of Four Seasons building new ships. Of course established luxury operators like Seabourn, Silversea, Ponant, and SeaDream Yacht Club are always raising the bar. Personally as a consumer I think the competition is great and keeps everyone on their toes, and I would like Regent to stay one step ahead of the pack.

How could Regent raise the bar?

Internet. It’s included but was quite slow and clumsy. Post cruise survey, in fact it had to be completed during the cruise using the clumsy and slow internet. Frustrating. Email it after the cruise. No pens in the cabin – a small but missing detail. Key card holder was a nice touch but needs to be better quality. It quickly began to fall apart. Offer a full sushi bar experience in Pacific Rim. Improve the quality of the burgers and Pool Grill experience. Offer cold towels and sorbet/popsicles poolside by staff, some other lines do this and it’s a very nice touch, especially on a hot afternoon poolside. Elevate the shore excursion experience, ours felt no different than mass-market cruises. Elevate the tender/embarkation tents in the various ports. Better seating, more staff, cold towels, more beverage choices than water. Even mass-market lines did a better job. Surprised not even cold towels were offered especially on a summer cruise in very hot ports. This is something that passengers from other competing lines see and Regent should stand out and impress.

Key Cards

Pacific Rim

Pool Grill

Standout details that really impressed

Initial document package, love it. Great attention to detail and a taste of what is to come. Great first impression. Included professional laundry service, the best at sea bar none. Laundry rooms, beautifully fitted out and in keeping with the luxury experience. Dining Room Menus, extensive and printed daily with the date, something you don’t see anymore. Full room service breakfast the final morning onboard. So civilized up to the last moments onboard. Water thermoses and refill stations. Fantastic concept and also great for the environment, a win win! Specialty Restaurant Lunches, great way to experience a specialty restaurant without committing to a full dinner. Full bottles of liquor delivered for the mini-bar. Very impressive. I never heard the word “no”.