RJ2002

Agree on the breads. Excellent selection and quality. I also don’t understand the omelette “presentation” comment. All the available ingredients were nicely displayed easy to select for your cooked-to-order omelette.

Good advice. I must say that Explora's designation of that deck area outside Crema for smoking is a head-scratcher. We had a couple of ports where you had to file through the smoking area in order to access the gangway to get on and off the ship.

No charge for mixed drinks made with in the included spirits in Anthology.

We were onboard Explora recently, and dined in Anthology. We were fortunate to have the current guest chef Claude Le Tohic onboard during our short Vancouver-LA segment. He stopped by our table after dinner for a nice chat. We used a generous OBC which completely paid for our evening at Anthology. However, for me, I would not pay 'out-of-pocket' for that meal. Most of the dishes were indeed very good, but small bites in a tasting menu format is really not our style. I would also point out that despite the fact that you may order a mixed drink to enjoy at the table, you can't order a single glass of wine (neither the 'included' varieties, or just a single 'pay' glass). You must purchase either the complete wine paring, or purchase a full bottle of wine. That didn't sit well with us.

I am a vodka person and thought the offerings were limited. The well vodka was Absolut - which is also the brand we were supplied for in-suite consumption. On the shelf in the bars I saw Tito's and Grey Goose (both included). These were the only vodkas I saw onboard. As I commented in another thread, thankfully they had Grey Goose!

I've not been on Disney, but have read a lot about the entertainment. I'd say Disney and Explora will be on opposite ends of the spectrum as it pertains to entertainment. I hope Explora's entertainment will have improved when we perhaps choose to sail them again (i.e., when the itineraries expand).

Received a marketing email today from Explora, promoting Explora II's inaugural sailing 11 - 19 August 2024, Barcelona to Civitavecchia.

Be sure to load the Explora app to your phone. I was familiarizing myself with it one day early in our cruise and discovered you can reserve restaurants through the app as well. I think this might only be available once you are onboard.

Yes, thanks for all the reports from Explora, and glad you were able to make the most of the cruise despite your confinement.

LOL. Like most things consumed - beverages, food, etc. - it's a matter of personal preference.

I am not so much of a champagne person, but looking online, Mercier is supposedly the most popular champagne in the French domestic market. The thing I was disappointed with was the limited selection of vodkas. From what I saw at the bars, Absolut is their 'well' vodka, and only Tito's and Grey Goose were on the shelf. Thank goodness for the Grey Goose, at least.

Yes, we heard the passenger count was going up when Explora calls in Miami. I'd say it's a good thing that the bar staff is preparing for the increased load. The bartenders in the Explora Lounge and Astern Lounge were not the speediest, IMO. On the other hand, the bartenders in the Lobby Lounge were great.

I understood it to be maximum. This was just a passing comment at dinner by our TA, and I had no interest anyway so I didn't pursue. It might very well be related to their inventory onboard, and that they don't want to sell out within the first few days of a sailing. Just speculating.

Yes, that is what I understood from our travel advisor, who was also on our sailing. I am presuming it was communicated during one of the Explora orientation sessions which were held for the numerous TA's onboard. As I said, I didn't follow up since I was not interested in a purchase. Perhaps someone else onboard currently can confirm for you.

It's good that you shared your feedback directly with management. What was his response?

I was onboard the Vancouver-LA sailing, and someone mentioned that the shop has a quota of how many watches they can sell in a day... something like 2? I didn't confirm, so just FYI.

If you are speaking of toilet paper, you should not bring your own. I’ve read here many times that the supplied toilet paper is designed for the ship’s plumbing system. You run the risk of toilet blockages if you use regular toilet paper, inconveniencing not only yourself but also likely your neighbors.

Well, those HAVE to help a little! 😂

Hope you are feeling better. So very nice you have access to the adjoining suite.

Agree that Explora can work on the entertainment, though you really can't compare the entertainment capabilities on a behemoth like Meraviglia to the modest sized Explora. BTW, @HappyInVanwere you in Yacht Club on Meraviglia? Great pictures!

We were on the same sailing, and thought that the crew was top notch. Everyone was so friendly and willing to serve. Really great teamwork. We were addressed by name multiple times, even on such a short 6 night segment. We generally sail on Regent, and I'd say that this particular Explora crew rivaled Regent in that regard. However, I recognize that even on the same cruise, some guests experiences will be different. We spoke with several crew who were preparing to rotate to the new Explora 2 after a short break back home.

Agree 100%. We almost never have dinner in a ship’s lido venue, but we did one evening on Explora. Delicious, and the seafood options in particular are a step up at night vs. what is offered at lunch (which is quite good as well). I especially enjoyed the chilled crab legs.

Crema Cafe opens at 7:00am. Agree with the suggestion to call room service for coffee earlier than that.

I just did a booking online and put it on hold. Agree, seems to work for some of us. edit: have not attempted to pay, so not sure if that step works

I am currently onboard, and the future cruise consultant confirmed to me that there is a 5% discount for onboard bookings. Interestingly, the following day when we were having pre-dinner drinks in the Explora Lounge, we overheard a group of travel advisors discussing that there was an additional 5% being offered. Perhaps that is only for travel types…. Who knows? I have not attempted to clarify with the onboard consultant as there are no current itineraries that interest me. I do find it odd that there has been no promotion of future cruise bookings at all.