Regent Seven Seas Explorer –

Review by Kristy Cockerill

We knew we were in for a treat, when the taxi arrived on Queens Wharf - our taxi pulled up and the attendant came running over and moved the orange cones so that our taxi could drive right up to the terminal door. Before we were even out of the taxi, staff were right there, getting our bags out of the back and taking them to check-in.

We were greeted as we got out of the taxi and then escorted to the terminal check-in, where we were personally introduced to the check-in staff. Bags were retagged with the Regent labels (after them asking so nicely if they could remove the ugly airline baggage labels 😊) and then we didn’t see them until we arrived at our suite..

Chilled glass of champagne on arrival– personally escorted to show you to your emergency meeting point (video emailed prior to embarkation showing you what you need to do etc- so no drill), then directed to your suite. Bottle of chilled champagne and fruit platter waiting on your arrival

Attendant personally greets you and shows you the workings of the suite and leaves their contact number should you need to get hold of them.

We were lucky to be in a Superior Suite – layout below:

Very spacious suite with a decent sized balcony. Huge walk-in wardrobe – and we even had a separate bath! The Super Comfortable Bed was facing the balcony – so woke up to beautiful vistas every morning – did I mention super comfortable bed! Laundry included – delivered daily – we put out some laundry before we left in the morning and it was already back in our room – washed and neatly folded and gift wrapped like a present! by 7pm that night (they do say to allow a day though)– clothes that need pressing were hanging up in the wardrobe.

We got to see the lead -in suite – Veranda Suite (H). Still very spacious at 20.4m2.

Main differences I noticed was:

Bed facing the wall rather than the balcony / Much smaller sitting area (but still ample) / Smaller Balcony (just fits two deck chairs and table) /Half the size of the wardrobe and no bath. I would have no hesitation recommending this lead-in category – bigger than some higher end suites on other ships!

And we got to see the Grand Suite – 79-94m2 – all I can say is Wow! Luxury at its finest. Unfortunately, the one-of-a-kind Regent Suite – 281m2 – was occupied so we couldn’t visit.

The ship has so many different areas to relax in, you never once felt crowded or that there were too many people.

Library – Beautifully decorated and comfy chairs!  Well stocked with many recent releases available.

Coffee Connection – Finally a place that makes decent coffee! This was a great place to sit and relax (with a good cup of coffee) – they have fresh baked pastries and fruit available in the morning and then cookies/muffins/cheeses etc available for the rest of the day.   Menu of many speciality coffees and tea made by trained baristas.

Pool Deck – Stunning views from here – plenty of loungers available so you were never worried about missing out – Pool Grill offering all day menus – steaks/ burgers/pasta/pizza – you name it they have it. Most things are cooked on request so super fresh!

The Infinity Pool on Deck 5 – is a heated pool on a teak covered terrace – great to spend time here whilst at sea – stunning views but while at port, the view wasn’t great (being in New Zealand, they were mostly working ports we stopped at, so noisy and view of cranes/logs/containers – could be different overseas). But we found hardly anyone came here so often had the place to ourselves.

Food – was amazing!

As all the speciality dining restaurants are included – all you have to do is make a reservation – they are a must!

Chartreuse – Parisian décor -French inspired menu e.g. escargots / veal loin rack with walnut jus sauce – stunningly presented desserts (works of art really) and tasty!

Pacific Rim – Large Tibetan Prayer wheel in the entrance - Asian Fusion – One of my favourite restaurants.

Prime 7 - Classic dining – artwork by Picasso and Chagall adorn the walls – lots of wood and darker moody colours– This is the luxury version of a steak house – steak in any cut / size you could ask for – and seafood galore. My ‘Surf and Turf’ was a Filet Mignon with Lobster Tail!

Sette Mari at La Veranda – In the evening, La Veranda becomes an Italian themed dining experience – matched with Tuscan wines. Very tasty. They don’t take bookings for this, so suggest to guests that if they want to eat here – aim to be there at about 6.00pm

For any of the speciality restaurants, I suggest booking as soon as you can -once onboard, you can visit the concierge to amend times/table sizes etc.

Dining Dress Code is Elegant Casual – Except in Speciality Restaurants where a Dinner Jacket for men are required – no ties are required.

Shore Excursions – Unlimited and included (Regent Choice Shore Excursions are unique, one-of-a-kind experience and is at a charge)

I would prebook these as soon as possible. The line up for the shore excursion desk on the first day of sailing was huge! Talking to a few guests, they had been waiting quite a while – so do it online!

Well organised with staggered departure times, so no long queues waiting for tenders etc.

Entertainment –

Lot’s happening throughout the day in different areas of the ship – the Daily Passages is delivered each night to your suite with a detailed itinerary with times etc. There is also a channel on the TV that has the cruise director running through the next day’s itinerary and going over the different activities happening – this keeps looping – so is available anytime for guests to refer to.

But the best thing about these – there are no annoying onboard announcements every 10-15 minutes telling you what’s happening – such bliss!!!  (it’s these small things 😊)

A show held each night in the Constellation Theatre at 9pm – goes for approx. 45mins.

We were lucky to have New Zealand’s own Anna Hawkins entertain us for two nights – what a beautiful voice / New Zealand comedian Simon McKinney two nights and their own Regent Explorer Production Company – Broadway style songs and dances.

All extremely talented, well presented, and entertaining.

Staff/Crew

 Two words – Impeccable Service! (and to add a third – Friendly! -but doesn’t quite have the same ring)

We had a saying amongst our group of agents ‘Ask and you shall receive’ and that sums it up nicely. Staff are anticipating what you might need – drinks are topped up or refreshed before you have finished the first! If you are having a G&T or Beer chatting with a group – suddenly bowls of nuts or chips appears.

I mentioned to our suite attendant that we were looking forward to relaxing and having a gin on our balcony when we got back from our shore excursion – when we returned, there was a bottle of Hendricks, Tonic and sliced Limes with some snacks waiting in our cabin for us!

Whilst we were onboard – the American Football College Final  was being played – they organised to get a licence to stream this in the cabins and set up Explorer’s Lounge for guests to watch on a big screen – with a table of coffee/tea, water, soft drinks, cookies and freshly baked pastries.

I think they had more guests turn up than they expected but within minutes the lounge was rearranged so that everyone had a good view.

Someone joked that the only thing missing was the Beer, Popcorn and Nachos.

Next minute – Bar was opened, staff brought in to deliver drinks (in case you didn’t feel like walking the 10-15 steps to the bar in the lounge!) and bowls and bowls of popcorn were made and delivered constantly throughout the game. You didn’t have to get out of your seat once! Not sure if the Nachos arrived – we gave up on the game after two hours – seriously – how can a game of 4 x 10-minute quarters take soooooo long??

That’s probably enough of me going on and on – but to sum it up – I would say Regent Seven Seas Explorer is Quiet Luxury.   

Everything is done to the absolute highest of standards but is not flashy or over the top.