All Things Explorer of the Seas! -- Part 2

[megr1125]

Christie...you really have to catch up on your EX cruises...hahaha

[ChristieNJ]

Christie...you really have to catch up on your EX cruises...hahaha

Tell me about it. I know it, you know it, but my wallet doesn't want to hear it! lol :p

[megr1125]

OK...our family is going on Explorer for the first time in March, and we are having a discussion (ie. differences of opinion) on the various dining options on board. So, to set the record straight, could someone please give me a list of the various dining options...what does and doesn't cost, and roughly when they are open (ie. open specific hours, or open 24hrs, or just for dinner...something like that). I will be forever grateful.

 

Thank you

 

 

Main Dining room....open for breakfast, lunch on sea days and dinner...

 

b-fast times vary based on sea/port days. Sea it is ABOUT 8-10, port about 7-9. Lunch is noonish-2ish only on sea days...

 

dinner is 5:30ish-9 ish for My Time Dining (mtd) and 6 and 8:30 (iirc) for traditional.

 

Windjammer is open from 6-11 for breakfast but the hot stuff isn't available till 7 or so.

 

then lunch is from 11ish-3. 3-5ish is 'afternoon tea' and snacks. Dinner is 6 or so till 9

 

that's all free.

 

Cafe Promenade is open 24 hours. Everything there is free except for specialty coffees, soda and booze. You can get sandwiches, pizza, cookies, breakfast pastries, etc based on time of day.....

 

Johnny Rockets' hours vary..usually open for lunch/dinner on sea days and possibly port days too....the charge there is 4.95 for whatever you want to eat. All beverages are additional, such as milkshakes, soda, booze. No iced tea is available.

 

Portofino is open for dinner, by reservation. i forget the cost (25-30 bucks). I was invited so, my friend paid....:p You get a LOT of food...and it is pretty darned yummy! I've never gone in any of my cruises....it was really nice. not sure if i would go all the time, but we had a pretty good group of people.

 

i think that's about it...

 

hth

[cruisinunlimited]

Tell me about it. I know it, you know it, but my wallet doesn't want to hear it! lol :p

 

Explorer is our favorite also,have made alot of friends on the ship over the last year. by the time we get to the November 4th sailing we will also be on our 6th. We will be on in May again. I see you will be on in November also..We will have to meet, I have read alot of your posts.

 

Karen

[demodawn]

Christie, love the diamonds! But am partial to emeralds at least the real things!

[2techs]

Hi,

I had read on another board that RCCL allowed passengers to bring soda on board. Is this true? If it is, how much is one allowed to bring?

 

I have be calling the cruiseline all day, and can't get through without a 30 minute wait time.

 

Any info would be helpful.

;)

[red devil]

[karinad]

Hi,

I had read on another board that RCCL allowed passengers to bring soda on board. Is this true? If it is, how much is one allowed to bring?

 

I have be calling the cruiseline all day, and can't get through without a 30 minute wait time.

 

Any info would be helpful.

;)

We just got off the EOS last Sunday. I brought about 9-24oz. bottles of soda. I put them in our checked luggage (we didn't fly, but the bags we let the porters take). I divided them in each bag between clothes only because I didn't want to lug them around before boarding. I had no problem.

[2techs]

We just got off the EOS last Sunday. I brought about 9-24oz. bottles of soda. I put them in our checked luggage (we didn't fly, but the bags we let the porters take). I divided them in each bag between clothes only because I didn't want to lug them around before boarding. I had no problem.

 

Really? Well, that's good to know. I guess it's really the alcohol they clamp down on, and since we don't drink that won't be a problem. Thanks for the answer.

 

Another question though, were your bags that the porters take scanned by xray?

 

Thanks again. ;)

[Canagirl]

We're counting down the days to our first Explorer of the Seas cruise leaving on Thursday!

 

If you go to the main dining room for lunch, do they normally sit you at a table with others or on your own?

[pjnj40]

always let the hostess know you want the table of your own if you wish not to sit with other. at breakfast ask for a la carte to get your own table.

[mamaza]

We're counting down the days to our first Explorer of the Seas cruise leaving on Thursday!

 

If you go to the main dining room for lunch, do they normally sit you at a table with others or on your own?

We'll be sailing with you. As nice as it is to sit by yourself, we've always found it fun to meet new people while at meals and compare our days and agendas. We've made some long lasting relationships from tablemates.

 

There is a large group who are basically strangers who are meeting occationally to play games, converse and maybe party together. We talk and plan together on another thread at Cruise Critic Many are veteran cruisers with Royal Caribbean, The Explorer, and/or with other cruise lines. You can find us at this thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1344218. You are surely welcome to join us, if you wish.

[megr1125]

Really? Well, that's good to know. I guess it's really the alcohol they clamp down on, and since we don't drink that won't be a problem. Thanks for the answer.

 

Another question though, were your bags that the porters take scanned by xray?

 

Thanks again. ;)

 

AFAIK they are scanned once on the ship, but this happens out of sight of the guests....thus, if you get caught 'smuggling' you may be called to the naughty room....

[Canagirl]

always let the hostess know you want the table of your own if you wish not to sit with other. at breakfast ask for a la carte to get your own table.

 

Thank you very much.

 

We'll be sailing with you. As nice as it is to sit by yourself, we've always found it fun to meet new people while at meals and compare our days and agendas. We've made some long lasting relationships from tablemates.

 

There is a large group who are basically strangers who are meeting occationally to play games, converse and maybe party together. We talk and plan together on another thread at Cruise Critic Many are veteran cruisers with Royal Caribbean, The Explorer, and/or with other cruise lines. You can find us at this thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1344218. You are surely welcome to join us, if you wish.

 

Thanks. I will check out the other thread as well!

[terrirus]

We will be sailing in Jan 2012, on EOS. we have a confirmed early dining. But I was wondering if there was a night or two that we did not want to eat so early, would we be able to go to anytime dining that evening and if so how would we go about it? Thanks for your help. Terri

[Canagirl]

We will be sailing in Jan 2012, on EOS. we have a confirmed early dining. But I was wondering if there was a night or two that we did not want to eat so early, would we be able to go to anytime dining that evening and if so how would we go about it? Thanks for your help. Terri

 

You won't be able to switch. You have to pick one or the other. If you pick My Time Dining, you also have to pre-pay your gratuities.

 

There is the buffet as an option if you don't make your assigned seating.

 

Another alternative is to pick My Time Dining and make reservations at your preferred time (and if necessary and there is availability, you can switch these when you are on board if your schedule changes - not an option with a set dining schedule.)

 

We've picked My Time Dining and have made reservations in advance for 6 p.m. each night. That time will likely work fine, but if it conflicts with something, we can change the time when we are on board, which wouldn't be an option if we had an assigned seating.

[The P]

[

 

We've picked My Time Dining and have made reservations in advance for 6 p.m. each night. That time will likely work fine, but if it conflicts with something, we can change the time when we are on board, which wouldn't be an option if we had an assigned seating.

 

Exactly what we did for our January 2012 cruise on Explorer!

[terrirus]

You won't be able to switch. You have to pick one or the other. If you pick My Time Dining, you also have to pre-pay your gratuities.

 

There is the buffet as an option if you don't make your assigned seating.

 

Another alternative is to pick My Time Dining and make reservations at your preferred time (and if necessary and there is availability, you can switch these when you are on board if your schedule changes - not an option with a set dining schedule.)

 

We've picked My Time Dining and have made reservations in advance for 6 p.m. each night. That time will likely work fine, but if it conflicts with something, we can change the time when we are on board, which wouldn't be an option if we had an assigned seating.

 

Thanks so much for the info, we may consider doing this,

5:30pm seems a little early, especially on a day in port.

We are excited, getting close :D

[Canagirl]

 

Exactly what we did for our January 2012 cruise on Explorer!

 

It's a great option. We know we like My Time Dining. We did it on our first Carnival cruise, loved that on our last cruise that all NCL dining was My Time and are looking forward to it on this cruise too!

 

Thanks so much for the info, we may consider doing this,

5:30pm seems a little early, especially on a day in port.

We are excited, getting close :D

 

No problem. I know the feeling of getting excited. We're leaving Wednesday for our Thursday cruise and just making sure I've packed everything I need to pack!

[Canagirl]

Can you get free wakeup calls on the Explorer (on our past cruises, we've been able to do this through an automated system on the telephone and was wondering if they have something similar)?

[wallygator]

Can you get free wakeup calls on the Explorer (on our past cruises, we've been able to do this through an automated system on the telephone and was wondering if they have something similar)?

 

Yes there is a buton on your state room phone that lets you. Works well I might say.

[Canagirl]

Yes there is a buton on your state room phone that lets you. Works well I might say.

 

Great. Thank you. One less thing that I have to pack!

[mets550]

When doing MTD, do you get the same wait staff every night if you have reservations at the same time each night?

[kleo30]

When doing MTD, do you get the same wait staff every night if you have reservations at the same time each night?

 

We requested the same time and same waitstaff every night, and were accommodated. They even went out of their way to make sure 3 couples could sit together half way through the week when we realized we enjoyed dining together. The first night they had to change our tables, but it was fine the rest of the time.

[Canagirl]

When doing MTD, do you get the same wait staff every night if you have reservations at the same time each night?

 

I'm sure someone else will provide more detail, but I just read a review from someone off the Explorer and they requested and received the same wait staff each night.

 

As well, on RCCL's site they say you can do that (subject to availability):

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentWithHero.do?pagename=open_seating

 

You will have the ability to request a certain waiter (subject to availability)