Food has been great and no issues with getting reservations as long as you were asking early and not last minute.

Prime 7 seems to be more a favorite now than Pacific Rim (easier to get Pacific Rim reservations) but the food is the same as it has always been in both restaurants. Had delicious meals in both restaurants.

Compass Rose has been consistently outstanding! Some new breakfast "healthy" items on the Compass Rose breakfast menu - I tried one today. Frozen blueberries with fruit and almonds. Been told about it by many and was surprised at how good it was. I loved it.

I like Compass Rose more for lunch than Prime 7 or Chartreuse but no biggie.

If you are talking about the stairs on deck 5 aft nothing has changed. Not sure what you mean with the stairs in the theater, maybe that the blended in too much so not noticed? Really have not paid attention to that have had no issues at all.

New things.

They started testing their version of the Whisper System that they have on the river boats on this segment You use your own phone and earphones download the Regent Smart guide App. There is a page with numbers 1 to 24. The guide tells you which number to select and it is just like the Whisper System on river boats but your own equipment.

The guides were fighting it a bit as it is all new for them but when it worked it was fantastic. So nice to be able to walk away and still hear the guide. I think once everyone is used to the system it is going to be a huge success.

No whistling in the balcony doors but still the faint ringing of a telephone in the bathroom from time to time.

Some new faces for me, Stephane as F&B absolutely delightful. Easy to talk to and very warm personality. Renato is a new Dining Room Manager - Love him too all over the place and very outgoing. He is going to be on the Splendor. Jaccque is the cruise consultant from South Africa not seen him before he was nice.

LIFE IS GOOD on the Explorer.