bitob

The must be kidding They have ruined their reputation and they are raising prices. Unusual business model. There's not a chance in ___ I would ever book an Explora cruise again.

Even though my TA suggested I wait 30 days, I just filed a dispute with my credit card company. I do not trust this cruise company. Already burned by Crystal. Fool me once . .. Some encouraging news: the credit card rep could see a "pending credit" from Explora on my account (I cannot see it) but it has been sitting there. We are going it 3-5 days.

sorry!!

Marketing trick

From what my TA tells me, many voyages are filling up quickly. Cruising is back. May not be true on all lines, but I need to book when itineraries come out to get the cabin I want on the lines I prefer.

As a general rule, those who sale on luxury lines want longer cruises. This is huge negative for many. The demographic on shorter cruises is very different from the demographic on longer cruises. The Explora cruise I booked was attractive because it was 14 days (an absolute minimum for us). The big attraction for us was the ship and the hype that went with it. Crystal's ships are indeed very old and Explora outshines them in every way but if the on board experience fails, the ship becomes irrelevant. Crystal has announced it plans new builds, but of course that will take a while. I think the real competition now is the new builds on Regent and Silversea -- gorgeous ships with a great onboard experience.

This is a cruise line to avoid. At least for now . .

Don't let the Crystal aficionados hear you say that. Heresy.

I was on Silver Moon in July. Starlink on board. Connections just fine.

I also live in tucson. Getting back from bridgetown is a nightmare

My experience has been completely the opposite No problem with wait time You should contact customer service.

I did not say they are permitted I said I put them in all the time and it’s never an issue

This does not bode well for Explora's most popular itinerary. Most cruises I book have to be booked waaaay ahead to get a decent cabin. I am on many sold out cruises.

Ivi - Sounds like the future journey credit is for the second cruise you take - cannot be applied to the rebooked cruise. Remember the value of an FCC on Crystal. Regardless, I would cancel and get a full refund Then I would wait a year or two to see what happens with Explora They are not ready for prime time.

I put Air Tags in my bags all the time Not an issue Liquids and creams are definitely allowed in Luggage Forward bags but NOT in Luggage Free (per their website) My bags that are en route now to their destination are loaded with all kinds of cosmetics, liquids and creams (and AirTags). Prohibited items from Luggage Forward website Are there any items I cannot send? Medication, OTC, prescription, or vitamins. Food & Alcohol. Perfume (or anything with alcohol content) Pressurized Containers (aerosol, CO2 cartridges, etc) Valuables or Currency. Electronics. Lithium based, or Alkaline batteries. Creams and lotions and all kinds of toiletries (non alcohol)are permitted (contrast that with Luggage Free). I am willing to take my chances with the air tags. I have never had a problem nor have any of my friends who use the service.

We also use Welcome Pickups -- all over the world I second that recommendation. In the London area we have always used BAtransfer The big difference is that with BA transfer you have a choice of vehicle. If you have a lot of luggage, which we always do LOL, you can choose the vehicle that will hold it all. We sometimes do the transfer with friends so vehicle size is critical. Welcome Pickups in some places contracts with taxi drivers (Rio comes to mind) and you could end up in a very small taxi.

Exactly THEY cancelled. 60 days is outrageous

60 days? Who in their right mind would do business with Explora going forward?

It seems those of us following these threads fall into 2 categories Those who are not deterred and are willing to book multiple cruises. Those who cancelled and will not rebook or those who wish they could cancel without penalty. I hope it turns out well for those who will continue to book and sail. Explora has an uphill road on repairing the damage done by some of these reports. It takes a long time to building a great reputation and one 1 day to lose it. A new cruise line is always a gamble. Many of us believed that MSC had lots of experience in the cruise arena. I am just surprised that an experienced cruise line such as MSC is having such a hard time delivering on its promisees and making things work.

I am in US. Explora cancelled my 2025 cruise and I immediately applied for refund through my TA (8/29). My TA (who is very knowledgeable) told me to give it 30 days. If I do not receive a refund in 30 days, I will contact credit card company.

Spot on

I was recently on the Silver Moon Although chatting with officers is not critical to my enjoyment, I was astounded at how accessible the officers were on that cruise. One day I was in the elevator alone and the captain got on and he spent a full twenty minutes chatting with me (we stepped outside of course). I was surprised. He was a young captain and he talked to me about his training to be an ice captain (for Silver Endeavor) and many other things. In the Arts Cafe (the coffee place) the officers would mix with guests and chat. From what people are posting it seems to me that Explora is MSC with a few add ons and higher prices. That will not make them competitive with Silversea, Seabourn, Regent or even Crystal (despite the old ships). A gorgeous ship alone will not be enough IMO

I would miss trivia and duplicate bridge. I like having a cruise director although not critical. A really great one can enhance the cruise.

Just read the comments - does not sound anything like a luxury experience. Very disorganized.

I lost a boatload with Crystal. Old ships with small cabins, even with the refurb. The bankruptcy gave us the opportunity to discover the other luxury lines and we're not going back. Regent, SS and Seabourn work for us now. I have friends on Explora 1 who would cancel too except their cruise is not cancelled and there would be a 45% penalty.