Explorer of the Seas Review - June 10th - June 19th

[vowsatsea]

Background: This was mine and my husband's 6th cruise, but first on Royal Caribbean. We've sailed Carnival and Princess. We're 24, and 27, and we were traveling with my mom (62) and my aunt (59) and uncle (59), and all three were first time cruisers.

 

EMBARKATION: Was ok, but could've been better. Upon arrival, we were sent through the metal detectors and given number 36, and told to go to another room, and that we could not get on the check-out line. We went in the room, and soon after, we saw a group with the number 36 getting up and proceeding to check-in. When we tried to get up, we were told no, and that they were not being called by number and that she was going by "who she recognized as being there". This worker (Diane) seemed particularly confused and there were times when there was no line for check in, but Diane was chit-chatting with different groups for maybe 10-20-30 minutes and not calling anyone! Diane finally told us to proceed to check in, where we realized that everyone coming through the metal detectors was getting straight on the check in line and not even coming into the room we were in. Therefore, there were people in front of us with WAY higher numbers than us. A minor setback, and we didn't care much because we had to wait for the shuttle bus anyway, so no rush, but this is something that should be worked on. Also, my dad cancelled the cruise a week before, and we received the receipt from our travel agent showing my dad as cancelled and my mom still active and by herself in her room. However, when she tried to check in, we discovered that Royal Caribbean had accidently cancelled both my dad AND my mom. Supervisors and other staff were called over and after 20 minutes or so, the problem was fixed. Everyone involved was very apologetic and we were still satisfied with the embarkation process.

 

SHIP: The ship was absolutely gorgeous. The layout was nice, everything was clean and well manicured. The only thing I did not care for was on deck 12 - it consisted of a jogging track and tons of deck chairs and there was limited space to maneuver around the deck. It was fine because I found other areas of the ship to just look out at the water. I loved the observation point at the front of the ship, and was shocked that they let people out that close to the front of the ship. We hung out there a lot during the cruise, and it was great when coming into port.

 

SERVICE: No competition. Royal Caribbean blew all our other cruises out of the water (pun intended). The staff was SO friendly, and always cheerful, and smiling, and it was an absolute pleasure to interact with them for 9 days. The "greeters" at the Windjammer were especially friendly, and at certain points, they had a bunch of workers standing there greeting people in an upbeat, no way you could not smile, kind of way. Plates were cleared immediately at the Windjammer, and they consistently came around with the free drinks. I did not come across one staff member that was not friendly. They truly added to my cruise experience. A big problem that my husband and I always run into is that on the last day of the cruise, the service always declines. We always feel like our cruise is ending a day early. They'll take away the deck chairs, or basically hit the "reset" button, and just seem generally disinterested. This was NOT the case on this cruise. There was actually napkins and silverware the morning of disembarkation (which we did not get on other cruises!). I was amazed at how the flawless service NEVER declined, the activities were never scarce, and I felt like I was on vacation to the second my foot left the ship. Also, my uncle had to bring a machine that he uses for sleeping (due to Sleep Apnea), and their Stateroom Attendance (Aloma) got him an extension cord and set everything up for him, and really went above and beyond in making sure he was comfortable.

 

FOOD: Again, this blew all our other cruises out of the water. The variety was unlike anything I've seen. The burgers were delicious, and we enjoyed the make your own pasta station, the desserts, ice cream (with various condiments), and Cafe Promenade. There was something for everyone, and I only came across one or two things during the 9 days that I didn't care for. They offered plenty of free drinks - lemonade, iced tea, water, flavored water (tropical mango, strawberry kiwi, lemon-lime), so we never went thirsty. On the last day, they surprised us with a buffet on the promenade that had an array of different foods. My only complaint was that the food was sitting under saran wrap while we waited for noon to hit, and a lot of the food (like the french fries) ended up soggy. Everything was delicious, though. My mom, aunt and uncle raved every meal about how amazing the food was. We went to Johnny Rockets one night, and it was good (with good service), but we couldn't see paying again for burgers and fries when the Windjammer had it for free. We went to the Dining Room one night, but they were serving the exact same food that the Windjammer was serving, so we didn't go back. Although our Waiter, Assistant Waiter and Head Waiter were phenomenal. We were called by our first names, and they really went above and beyond with the service. On the negative side, the Windjammer finished serving at 9pm, and the only option for food became the Cafe Promenade. They only had about 2-3 desserts, 1-2 sandwiches and pizza to choose from. After midnight, the options became even more limited because there is a surcharge for room service. We did order room service every night and it was amazing. The standout was the Honey Strung Fried Chicken. It was delicious!!

 

EXCURSIONS AND PORTS: The first day in Bermuda we bought a 2-day bus pass ($20) and went to Horseshoe Bay Beach. It was crowded (we were docked with the Caribbean Princess), but if you walk down the beach, there are outcoves and really private areas. The sand is pink and feels like power and the water is crystal clear. It was by far, one of the most gorgeous beaches I've seen. We also visited the Glassworks Factory and the Rum Cake Factory (and took back a couple, too!). The second day, we had the Segway excursion booked. It was very organized. There was a sign on the pier and we were sent down to a yellow bus within walking distance. The bus didn't move, orientation was given on the bus and then we were allowed on the segways. Only my husband and I did this excursion, and it did not go well. The tour guides were great, but the segways were not for me. I had trouble balancing and controlling the segway. I often found myself jetting forward and not being able to stop. I kept saying I wasn't comfortable, but decided to go anyway. They took us in the streets (in traffic) and was still very uncomfortable. I was so nervous that I did not hear a word of the tour! At our first stop, my segway began going backwards and I could not stop it. I jumped off of it and said I didn't want to do the tour because I did not feel like I had control over the segway. One of the tour guides said he would stay with me in the back, and he did. Part of the tour takes you up and down a STEEP hill. When I had to lean completely forward or on my heels I seemed to be fine, but on level ground I had trouble maintaining. About halfway through the tour, my segway jetted forward again on a turn, the tire hit the curb and I fell on my side with the segway on top of me. I ended up with a bad cut on my ankle and foot and a couple of scrapes and bruises on my leg and arm. So, we returned back to the ship after that and did not complete the tour. Although it did not end well, Mark and Connor and the company running the tour was fantastic. It was my own fault, as I should've refused to go if I did not feel comfortable. In Nassau we booked the Blue Lagoon Dolphin Encounter. The Captain surprised us by extending our stay in Nassau by two hours, so we left at 8pm instead of 6pm. The pier and lining up to get to the boat for th excursion that would bring us to the island was somewhat disorganized and it was a long walk to the boat, and very easy to lose the group as you're walking as we were docked with three other ships that had passengers walking around. The excursion itself was amazing. It was a once in a lifetime experience. The encounter did not include the foot push, but we were standing on a platform and we were able to pet the dolphin, feel it's teeth. We got a hug, kiss, and got to dance with the dolphin. The trainer we had was fabulous and this was the highlight of the cruise. Coco Cay was amazing as well. As soon as we got down to the tender, we got right on. It was a short and beautiful trip over to Coco Cay, and the island was fabulous. There were plenty of empty areas, and it seems like people plopped down in the closest areas, where other further areas were completely empty. It was very easy to get a lounge chair or a hammock on the island. The island BBQ was delicious and very organized. The highlights were the BBQ chicken and the BBQ ribs. I wished there were more tables in the shade, as the benches were SO hot and nearly impossible to sit on.

 

ACTIVITIES AND ENTERTAINMENT: Our Cruise Director was Jimmy Rhodes and again, he blew other cruise directors out of the water. He was funny, personable, upbeat and just great. We went to the shows each night and the real standout was Jonathon Clark. He is a comedian and vocal impressionist. He got a standing ovation, and his performance was truly amazing! Fast Forward was also a performance I would not miss. The singers and dancers were great, and put on GREAT performances throughout the cruise. The ice show "Spirits of the Seasons" was breathtaking. The ice skaters and props were absolutely gorgeous. DO NOT MISS THIS!! Check the Compass at the beginning of the cruise, because tickets are required and they only have a limited amount and they went fast!! We ended up with tickets for Day 8 at 5pm. It was the most amazing show I've ever seen at sea. The Farewell show actually made me cry. The staff was so amazing in every way, and in every area of the cruise ship, that I did not want to leave. The parades they put on in the Promenade were great, too, and we watched from the balconies by the elevators instead of being squashed in the Promenade. Great music onboard throughout the cruise also.

 

DISEMBARKATION: We always do walk-off on our cruises. We probably wouldn't have done it had we known that this is a working pier and you have to get on a shuttle bus. Like always with walk-off, it was horrible getting an elevator, but with patience, we eventually got one, and it was a long line getting off the ship and onto the buses, but it moved smoothly (albeit slowly), and we got on. I don't know if I would do it again (walk off), simply because of the shuttle bus. Coming off the ship, they created a snake line to board the shuttle bus, and people were trying to cut the line because of the set up. We left our staterooms at 8:30 to start disembarkation, and we were picked up at the pick up point to go home at around 9:30, so if you're doing walk off, you may want to start proceeding down early.

[emey50]

Great review. Thanks for the post.

We are sailing on July 22. Can't wait

[crisndeefromde]

Great great review. We love this ship. The Explorer is the first ship that we cruised on and we have been on her many many times. We have also been on the Liberty and once on Carnival (never again even for free) The crew is what keeps us returning. Yes there are other products out there less expensive. Been there once and done that and nickle and dimed for so so much that we spent more than had we just went on RCCL but had family with us.

 

Enjoy more cruises.

[yogimax]

Glad you had a wonderful time. The ice show truly is spectacular and a major selling point of this ship.

[dtiger]

Great review. I also was on this cruise with you. I also found the staff and servers fantastic. I've never had such great service in the MDR. I attended the repeat guest get together and crew member said that the chef thought there was 6,000 people on the cruise, not the 3,400 that were there by amount of food consumed. My cousin and I certainly didn't miss a meal and my expanded waistline can proof it!

 

I also found the express departure a nightmare. It took a long time to get an elevator and then was difficult to get off the elevator into the crowd. You had to heave your luggage up onto the bus which wasn't much fun but other than that everything was great.

[Langley Cruisers]

Sabrina, glad you enjoyed Explorer, and sorry you were hurt! I hope you are feeling better now. I also hope you will consider RCI again very soon. :)

[vowsatsea]

Already have the next Explorer cruise booked! :) I certainly didn't waste any time with it.

[Blueeyes101817]

I loved reading this! I am going on the explorer for the first time in a few weeks and cannot wait!

[marci22]

When they first started doing express departure it was good because they limited the amount of people doing it; now it seems like they let anyone do it. I'm sure it saves the crew having to deal with all the luggage, but it's quite difficult to get off the ship and people get very testy. I would always advise a dedicated extra-early color tag if you need to be off promptly.

[vowsatsea]

According to Royal Caribbean, they said they were limiting the amount of people who were doing it. I don't know how true that is, because we signed up right away for it. I think everyone had the same time written on the top right hand corner (8:30-8:45), but in the top left hand corner there were Group numbers. Ours said Group 5, but my aunt and uncles said Group 4. They didn't call groups and they weren't separating people so I'm not exactly sure what that was all about.

 

You're right though, people were getting testy. If you sign up for it, you made the choice and should be prepared to deal with it. They warn you that it's crowded and you'll be boarding the bus and that no one will be helping you, so I didn't complain. I just know for next time not to do it again.

 

Some people onboard were SO nasty. Getting off the ship in Bermuda, a girl's card wasn't working and the line got a little backed up. He started screaming that "this is BS" and they "need to get their act together at Royal Caribbean". There were kids around and I couldn't believe that people get so worked up over the little things on vacation. My favorite "are you kidding me?" moment on board was when a guy stopped on the buffet line, set his plate down and ate his steak while the entire line behind him was waiting to move down. He stood there for a good 5 minutes blocking th entire line and cutting and eating his steak.

 

I also want to add to my review my giving major kudos to the Caricature Artist Catalin. We have a 13-year old dog named Truffles that is very sick. We happened to have a picture of her on our memory card. He drew us a GORGEOUS portrait of her. It came out absolutely gorgeous and only cost $50. It was worth every penny and he completed it in a few hours.

[LBumb]

thanks for sharing

[teddie]

Thanks for the review. We are sailing on the Explorer again on Sept 2. Which are the formal nights on the 9-nighters? I'm trying to figure out which night will be best for Portofinos.

 

Thanks, and glad you enjoyed you trip!

[vowsatsea]

The formal nights are the 1st sea day and the second to last sea day. So, Day 2 and Day 8 :D

[marci22]

According to Royal Caribbean, they said they were limiting the amount of people who were doing it.

 

You're right though, people were getting testy. If you sign up for it, you made the choice and should be prepared to deal with it. They warn you that it's crowded and you'll be boarding the bus and that no one will be helping you, so I didn't complain. I just know for next time not to do it again.

 

Some people onboard were SO nasty.

 

The first time I ever signed up for it, there was a sheet with slots and the names were filled in. Once it was filled, they were done.

 

The last time I did it (on IOS) I asked them "can i still sign up for it?" and they acted like there was no time limit; if you wanted to do it, you could.

 

They do warn you that you will have to be in control of your luggage but they do not warn you that it is chaotic and stressful. Some huge guy stepped on my foot trying to get around me, another guy literally pushed me off my feet, and some old guy cut in front of my entire family to get on an elevator, then his wife called me a bitch because I questioned him (in front of a group of kids no less). They do not warn you about that.

 

That's my rant for today lol.

[Cruising89143]

Glad that you enjoyed your first cruise on RCI. It reminds me of mine and why I keep returning to RCI even after trying other lines. Thanks for the review.

[cruiser-007]

Thanks for sharing your great review! We sailed EOS in Dec. '09 and absolutely loved it. Not sure why people say ships are crowded sometimes, I always found places to be alone on this one. We're hoping to get back on EOS in 2011. 12 day in Dec. is our target because the price is untouchable for that length of cruise. A vacation is what you make of it and it looks like you made a good one. Happy Sails!!:);):p

[vowsatsea]

Thanks for sharing your great review! We sailed EOS in Dec. '09 and absolutely loved it. Not sure why people say ships are crowded sometimes, I always found places to be alone on this one. We're hoping to get back on EOS in 2011. 12 day in Dec. is our target because the price is untouchable for that length of cruise. A vacation is what you make of it and it looks like you made a good one. Happy Sails!!:);):p

 

 

I agree! This ship did not seem crowded to me at all - unless I was always in the places that others didn't happen to be. In fact, not only did we *never* struggle to find a seat in the Windjammer, but we actually got the same table for every meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner), with the exception of maybe 1-2 times.

[houlacruiser]

Thanks for your review and I'm glad you had such a wonderful cruise! I love the Explorer and her staff. :)

[cruiser-007]

I agree! This ship did not seem crowded to me at all - unless I was always in the places that others didn't happen to be. In fact, not only did we *never* struggle to find a seat in the Windjammer, but we actually got the same table for every meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner), with the exception of maybe 1-2 times.

 

Of coarse, if you don't crowd to all the places they want to be- like some bingo thing and shopping seminars, avoiding the herds is quite easy. I think I mentioned in my own review about visiting the Royal Prominade when everyone else is at the pool, it seemed to work for us pretty good for us- then I,m not always into the public swimming seen anyway- ha ha!!

 

Nice chatn' withya':)

[trapperod]

Just got back from same cruise. Many regrets. Food was fair to mediocre in the dining room, left to go to Windjammer on the 4th day. Better selection and waiter was nicer. Staff was GREAT, especially greeters at the Windjammer.

Ship was lovely, biggest my 6 cruises, some urinal and sink malfunctions which were not corrected at all, just a sign-OUT OF SERVICE.

Ports were okay, 5 hour tour of Bermuda was too long and not enought time to eat and see St. George at same time. Food there was way to expensive. Royal Dockyard was nice, Snorkel Park, get there early as they charge $10 to get in after 11 am. Not advertised. Nassau was nice, snorkel tour okay, not like Tortola though. Beach at Coco Cay was nice but lacking shade and crowded. Snorklling was okay, watch out for rays.

Nicest thing coming home was seeing CVN 77, the President George H.W. Bush off of Norfolk on Friday and being buzzed by some F-18, one was really low.

Calmest weather ever on a cruise.

Would probably not use RCI again, food has gone down in quality since my last time with them 2 years ago, back to Celebrity or Holland America.

[CMM]

Sabrett thank you for taking the time to share your review. We too are planning our first Royal Caribbean Cruise and & our recent cruises have been on Princess/Carnival, so your comments are helpful.

 

Where is the make your own pasta and the free flavored waters(is it bottled)?

 

Appreciated your notes on entertainment & embarkation/disembarkation too.

[silvercrikhix]

Thank you for the time and consideration you put into posting your cruise experience on the Explorer of the Seas! :D

[bamelin]

I just got off this cruise too. Will try to post a review sometime this week.

 

Suffice to say it the Coles note version:

 

 

Weather was fantastic

 

Service was above and beyond anything I've experienced

 

Entertainment was great

 

Bermuda beat Bahamas hands down

 

low flying US military fighter jet almost popped my eardrums buzzing the ship ... I missed it but apparently a seahawk also did a low flyby as well. That aircraft carrier was freaking hUgE

 

Saw school of dolphins chasing the ship, very awesome moment

 

Food was amazing ... felt food quality was better in MDR compared to Buffet

 

Highly HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend trying MDR for lunch. Seriously you'll be kicking yourself if you find out like I did on the last day what you have been missing

 

Casino slots really blow on this ship -- payouts were horrible compared to land based casino's (either that or I'm just really unlucky)

[vowsatsea]

Sabrett thank you for taking the time to share your review. We too are planning our first Royal Caribbean Cruise and & our recent cruises have been on Princess/Carnival, so your comments are helpful.

 

Where is the make your own pasta and the free flavored waters(is it bottled)?

 

Appreciated your notes on entertainment & embarkation/disembarkation too.

 

 

The Make Your Own Pasta station was available during the dinner house in the Island Grill (which is the section of the Windjammer all the way aft).

 

The free flavored waters are also in the Island Grill and Windjammer. The staff has them already poured and on trays (not bottled), so you can get your own without pouring or putting ice, because they already have it done. Only problem is depending on how fast they're going, sometimes you get them and the ice melted slightly, and the taste isn't strong.