We recently sailed on the 10-night Barcelona to Venice trip aboard Explorer. It was our seventh Regent cruise but our first on the Explorer. We brought my mother and her husband and it was their first cruise ever. Bottom line up front - I think we have a new favorite ship!

The good: This ship is, in my opinion, absolutely stunning. I know people have complained about the dark colors and the artwork and the perceived wasted space and whatever else you can complain about, but the fact is that this is an amazing piece of engineering. From our first steps aboard, coming face-to-face with the amazing chandelier in the main atrium, to the art-deco touches, to the very adequate public spaces - I could spend a week on board just enjoying the ambiance and the artwork. We were in an F2 cabin and it was perfect for us. The closet was large and the dual basin sink was very welcome. The shower was fantastic and there was a large tub as well. The bed faces the balcony for a great view of the ocean in the morning. There is a large TV that swings out so you can watch from the couch or the bed. There is more than adequate drawer space and plenty of lights and outlets (there are additional US and euro outlets on the lower level of the night stands that many people didn't know about - nice touch!) Compass Rose is beautiful and the service was spot-on. We loved the other specialty restaurants as well. The lounges are nice, although they all have a similar 'feel' to me, but the bartenders are great and the company was good.

The bad: On the ship, not much. The infamous sight lines in the theater, the tight space between the aft elevators and stairs, no forward outdoor deck. Jason Montague was on board and told the crowd that these issues had been identified and would be corrected on the new build in the Explorer class. Service was better than our last few cruises, with almost telepathic service in CR and other restaurants. Off the ship, well, here's where you can see the cost-cutting, I think. The transfer from the airport was a cluster and getting checked into the hotel could have gone better. The shore excursions were universally worse than before, with some being very poorly organized and ALL of them being too crowded, even the Regent Choice additional cost excursions. I know this was a port-intensive itinerary and some crowding was to be expected, but honestly - these were NOT well run, although Destination Services was much more professional and friendly that I remember for years. Read more