Explorer Bermuda June 4-9 w/ Cruise Compass

[maaaaattt]

Hi all,

 

Just got back from a great 5 night vacation on board Explorer of the Seas. I will be posting a short review and some pictures a little later.

 

In the meantime, I know a lot of you look for the Cruise Compass' for specific itineraries, so I scanned and uploaded them. They can be found at the following web address:

 

Also, if anyone would like me to answer any questions, feel free to ask.

 

More later... ;-)

[Loralie]

thanks for posting the compass. I am looking for the 9 night but this gives me a good idea of what to expect. :)

 

What cabin were you in and what kind of shape was it in?

 

Thanks,

 

Loralie

[maaaaattt]

thanks for posting the compass. I am looking for the 9 night but this gives me a good idea of what to expect. :)

 

What cabin were you in and what kind of shape was it in?

 

Thanks,

 

Loralie

 

Loralie,

 

We were in cabin # 6289, which is on the Royal Promenade. It was in very good shape. Unfortunately, we had a steward that was a bit ditzy at times. But generally speaking, the bedding was like new, carpeting and furniture were without stains and it was obviously well kept.

[maaaaattt]

I've not had a chance to get my review together just yet, but I'll have it on here tonight at some point.

 

I did want to take a second to tell you guys traveling on Explorer soon to make sure you check out a new production show called "Invitation to Dance" that premiered on board this past week. It was choreographed by Louis Van Amstel from TV's Dancing with the Stars.

 

I know there has been a lot of talk about some of the shows getting "stale". This new show was AMAZING. The dancing really was incredible. They produced it over the course of the last 6 months and a bunch of people from RCI corporate were on board for the debut.

[red devil]

I've not had a chance to get my review together just yet, but I'll have it on here tonight at some point.

 

I did want to take a second to tell you guys traveling on Explorer soon to make sure you check out a new production show called "Invitation to Dance" that premiered on board this past week. It was choreographed by Louis Van Amstel from TV's Dancing with the Stars.

 

I know there has been a lot of talk about some of the shows getting "stale". This new show was AMAZING. The dancing really was incredible. They produced it over the course of the last 6 months and a bunch of people from RCI corporate were on board for the debut.

 

This must be an update as Invitation to Dance has been on the Explore the past two years.

Glad to hear it has been changed, looking forward to see it in Sept.

[CoachMom76]

How do you post a message in the Cruise Compass for an anniversary, birthday, etc.? Does anyone know? We have our friend's birthday during our sailing and it would be fun to put something in there for him.

[maaaaattt]

How do you post a message in the Cruise Compass for an anniversary, birthday, etc.? Does anyone know? We have our friend's birthday during our sailing and it would be fun to put something in there for him.

 

Once on board, you can make the request at Guest Relations.

[New to Europe]

Thanks so much for posting the Compass. We leave on the same cruise on July 16th and I just spent half an hour pouring over it. I think we should have taken a longer cruise! LOL:D

[cot427]

Thanks so much for posting the cruise compasses! We leave Saturday for the 5 night to Bermuda! How was embarkation and debarkation? And do you have any suggestions for Bermuda? I was looking at the 2 day transportation pass for the ferry/bus. Thanks!

[bridge&golf]

We (our family of 11) leave the end of July for a 5 nite cruise to Bermuda. Thanks for

your info. We (DH & I) have been on the Explorer a few times. Our sons,wives, grandkids, etc have never been on a cruise. So , this is our 50th anniversary present to them. We get to go on a cruise.!!!!!

 

This ship is perfect for all ages. Our 17 year old grandson decided to play rec basketball once he found out there was a court on board. :-)

 

I hope the weather is good the end of July. Please, Weather Gods(Goddess).

 

Thanks again for your review.

 

joann

[maaaaattt]

Thanks so much for posting the cruise compasses! We leave Saturday for the 5 night to Bermuda! How was embarkation and debarkation? And do you have any suggestions for Bermuda? I was looking at the 2 day transportation pass for the ferry/bus. Thanks!

 

Embarkation was ok. I'm VERY used to sailing out of Lauderdale and Miami and we usually show up at the pier around 10:30 am and we're on board around 11 am. I would not suggest getting to Cape Liberty before 11:30 am because they do not begin boarding until noon. There were also 2 wedding parties on my cruise that they boarded before anyone else, so we actually didn't make it onto the ship until almost 1.

 

The one caveat to coming later is that in Bayonne you are shuttle bussed from the building where you check in to the ramp to board the ship. My girlfriend and I, having gotten their early, were in group number 1 and we were the fourth couple to board. I'm not sure how backed up the buses get later in the afternoon.

 

Debarkation was a breeze. We decided to check our baggage the night before (we normally do express departure). We were told to be in the Diamond/Diamond+ waiting area (Palace Theater on Deck 3) at 10:00 am. We got done with breakfast a little early and decided to walk over at 9:15 am only to be told that our group # 10 was just called and we could leave.

 

We were off the ship in literally 5 minutes and looking for our luggage.

 

A quick story about that... we checked two bags the night before. I placed my green luggage tags on both myself and triple checked everything. When we got to the holding area, only one of my bags were there and the green luggage tag was nowhere to be found. I alerted one of the RCI reps who pointed me to a desk. I then went to the desk and spoke to another rep who told me to "wait around, as everyone debarks the room will lighten and you will probably find your luggage was accidentally placed in another group". I walked every group and placed eyes on EVERY bag in the room and my bag was nowhere to be found. Finally, after 45 minutes, my girlfriend saw a porter wheeling the bag toward the group 10 area. She ran over to him and told him the bag was hers, and he said it was found in another room. Take it for what it's worth. I didn't let it ruin the vacation...

 

Once the luggage was found, we were through customs and getting into a taxi within 5 minutes.

 

As far as Bermuda goes, we bought the 2-day bus pass. It was $40 total for the two of us. We used it to see as much of the island as possible. Bermuda is really quite beautiful. I have been all over the Caribbean, and I think it is my favorite. Check out Horseshoe Bay if you're looking to spend a day on the beach. We spent 1 full day there. It gets a bit crowded, especially in the middle of the day. But if you don't mind people, it's well worth it.

[cot427]

Embarkation was ok. I'm VERY used to sailing out of Lauderdale and Miami and we usually show up at the pier around 10:30 am and we're on board around 11 am. I would not suggest getting to Cape Liberty before 11:30 am because they do not begin boarding until noon. There were also 2 wedding parties on my cruise that they boarded before anyone else, so we actually didn't make it onto the ship until almost 1.

 

The one caveat to coming later is that in Bayonne you are shuttle bussed from the building where you check in to the ramp to board the ship. My girlfriend and I, having gotten their early, were in group number 1 and we were the fourth couple to board. I'm not sure how backed up the buses get later in the afternoon.

 

Debarkation was a breeze. We decided to check our baggage the night before (we normally do express departure). We were told to be in the Diamond/Diamond+ waiting area (Palace Theater on Deck 3) at 10:00 am. We got done with breakfast a little early and decided to walk over at 9:15 am only to be told that our group # 10 was just called and we could leave.

 

We were off the ship in literally 5 minutes and looking for our luggage.

 

A quick story about that... we checked two bags the night before. I placed my green luggage tags on both myself and triple checked everything. When we got to the holding area, only one of my bags were there and the green luggage tag was nowhere to be found. I alerted one of the RCI reps who pointed me to a desk. I then went to the desk and spoke to another rep who told me to "wait around, as everyone debarks the room will lighten and you will probably find your luggage was accidentally placed in another group". I walked every group and placed eyes on EVERY bag in the room and my bag was nowhere to be found. Finally, after 45 minutes, my girlfriend saw a porter wheeling the bag toward the group 10 area. She ran over to him and told him the bag was hers, and he said it was found in another room. Take it for what it's worth. I didn't let it ruin the vacation...

 

Once the luggage was found, we were through customs and getting into a taxi within 5 minutes.

 

As far as Bermuda goes, we bought the 2-day bus pass. It was $40 total for the two of us. We used it to see as much of the island as possible. Bermuda is really quite beautiful. I have been all over the Caribbean, and I think it is my favorite. Check out Horseshoe Bay if you're looking to spend a day on the beach. We spent 1 full day there. It gets a bit crowded, especially in the middle of the day. But if you don't mind people, it's well worth it.

 

I am also VERY used to leaving out of Miami or Lauderdale as this will be my first cruise our of Bayonne where we will actually drive to. So I hope we arrive around 11/1130ish and then by that time hopefully embarkation will be smooth.

 

And we plan on getting the 2 day pass as well for the island and as you said, go by bus and spend 1 full day at Horseshoe Bay and then the other take the ferry to St. George and then maybe wonder over to Hamilton before going back to the ship. Do you know if it is better to take bus or ferry from St. George to Hamilton? Thanks!

[stones902]

How do you post a message in the Cruise Compass for an anniversary, birthday, etc.? Does anyone know? We have our friend's birthday during our sailing and it would be fun to put something in there for him.

 

One caveot....I found out after the fact that my wife looked into this on our 6/4 sailing. She was not able to purchase the "ad" because we were too late in the game. The cost was $25 / message. If you are interested I would ask Guest Relations the first day.

[Knight17]

I am also VERY used to leaving out of Miami or Lauderdale as this will be my first cruise our of Bayonne where we will actually drive to. So I hope we arrive around 11/1130ish and then by that time hopefully embarkation will be smooth.

 

And we plan on getting the 2 day pass as well for the island and as you said, go by bus and spend 1 full day at Horseshoe Bay and then the other take the ferry to St. George and then maybe wonder over to Hamilton before going back to the ship. Do you know if it is better to take bus or ferry from St. George to Hamilton? Thanks!

 

I would think the bus would be better. More fexibility with times as there is very limited times the ferrys leave St. George. Also, I believe the ferrys stop at the Dockyards before continuing on to Hamilton. We took the bus route from St. George to Hamilton along the north shore - very scenic in spots as the road is at points is very close to the shoreline. There is also a South bus route that goes by Castle Harbor and the south shore line on the way to Hamilton. It appeared from the map less direct, but I think it would be scenic as well. The North bus route took about 45 minutes and dropped you off at the bus station in Hamilton about 2 blocks from the waterfront where you would take the ferry back to Dockyards after you finish in Hamilton.

[efields2]

I did want to take a second to tell you guys traveling on Explorer soon to make sure you check out a new production show called "Invitation to Dance" that premiered on board this past week. It was choreographed by Louis Van Amstel from TV's Dancing with the Stars.

 

I know there has been a lot of talk about some of the shows getting "stale". This new show was AMAZING. The dancing really was incredible. They produced it over the course of the last 6 months and a bunch of people from RCI corporate were on board for the debut.

 

We had the same show on the May 26th 9-night cruise. Hopefully they made some changes to it, since our show was pretty poorly done. Nothing exciting at all. I watch DWTS on occasion, and I've seen better dancing from the Stars on that show than from the dancers we had. We thought the 2nd production show was MUCH better.

[maaaaattt]

And we plan on getting the 2 day pass as well for the island and as you said, go by bus and spend 1 full day at Horseshoe Bay and then the other take the ferry to St. George and then maybe wonder over to Hamilton before going back to the ship. Do you know if it is better to take bus or ferry from St. George to Hamilton? Thanks!

 

The ferry ride is beautiful in and of itself, but it is not a reliable means of transportation. We waited in line for 45 minutes with the hot sun beating down on us and were just a couple of people away from being denied and forced to wait for the next ferry (30 minutes later) because the boat became full.

 

Having used the bus the rest of the time there, I much preferred it over the ferry.

[maaaaattt]

We had the same show on the May 26th 9-night cruise. Hopefully they made some changes to it, since our show was pretty poorly done. Nothing exciting at all. I watch DWTS on occasion, and I've seen better dancing from the Stars on that show than from the dancers we had. We thought the 2nd production show was MUCH better.

 

Apparently this is a completely different show that they just happened to use the same name for. From what I understand, the show was "tested" on other ships in the fleet (Independence, for one) and is now rolling out to others.

 

I've never seen the "Invitation to Dance" of old, so I can not compare. I will say that the one I saw this past week was one of the better productions I've seen on a Royal Caribbean ship.

[LBumb]

bermuda was our first cruise and i need to go back. a very special place.

[scubacruiser099]

We all loved the production shows and ice show. We went on the Explorer eight years ago when it was still fairly new, and we were impressed with how great she looked! They were doing maintenance on some areas and were constantly cleaning. Our cabin was beautiful and comfortable. Durgesh Borkar, our stateroom attendant, did a marvelous job!

In Bermuda, we got the 2-day pass and spent the first day at Tobacco Bay beach and the second day went to Hamilton for some quick shopping on the way to the bus terminal, followed by swimming at Horseshoe Bay beach and stopping by the small beach near Fort St. Catherine's to find sea glass. In total, we spent $102 for both days for the four of us (hubby and two sons ages 13 & 17). This included the transportation passes, 2 sets of snorkeling gear for Tobacco Bay, and some snacks at the snack bar at Tobacco Bay.

We went to Tobacco Bay for the snorkeling, which was only slightly better than Horseshoe Bay. One of the other swimmers got tangled in a Man-o'-War, so we only snorkelled for about an hour at Tobacco Bay. We saw maybe 4 more species of fish there. It is a much quieter beach. There were only a handful of people there on the day we went. The ferry trip over to St. George took twice as long as the one to Hamilton and we were concerned that we wouldn't be able to board the ferry on the way back. We waited around 30 minutes in a very long line for the 3:45 ferry and some people in line had to wait for the next one. I was glad we went though. I would have always wondered if we had missed the better beach. If you decide to go there, you may want to go on the first day so you don't need to stress about getting back before the ship leaves.

The bus ride to Horseshoe Bay beach was fun. We drove over the world's smallest drawbridge. Be sure to get a great free map of Bermuda when you buy your transportation passes (or you can get it ahead of time online through bermuda tourism) and follow the map as you ride along so you don't miss anything. The views at Horseshoe Bay beach were better than Tobacco Bay (even after climbing the hill behind the snack bar). We climbed the rocks for some great photos. There was also a little cave to the right that my son loved. The beach was busy, but not overwhelmingly so. We had plenty of room to spread out. We swam to the rocks to the right and saw a lot of fish including parrot fish.

We've been all over the Eastern & Western Caribbean, Turks and Caicos, Mexico, etc. and in many ways we loved Bermuda most of all. The residents were so friendly and the islands were so beautiful and clean. In fact, when we went to get sea glass, there was a resident couple who stopped by after their gym workout to have a quick swim in the ocean and to pick up any garbage on the beach in that area. She said, "I'm just doing my part." You will have a wonderful time!

I should mention that we had considered the kayak & snorkel excursion offered through RCCL. Some of the passengers we ferried with to Hamilton said it was awful. The captain of the little boat was unable to dock where he was supposed to and they were unable to do any kayaking. They also said the swimming and snorkeling was poor and in water about 3 feet deep. Just in case you were considering that option.

[maaaaattt]

Here's a sad story about a death to a passenger on our cruise. I'd heard rumor of it and just found the story on the internet.

 

Tourist dies after helmet dive (updated)

James Whittaker

Senior Reporter

 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 5:30PM UPDATE: A 52-year-old American tourist,, named today as Donna Zapata, died after suffering apparent complications from a heart condition onboard a 'helmet diving' boat yesterday.

 

The woman, who was in Bermuda with her husband aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas cruise ship, was on a tour with Hartley's Bell Diving.

 

She had just come up from a helmet dive — a sedate form of diving in shallow water where divers wear airtight helmets to view the underwater world — when she complained of shortness of breath.

 

Staff gave her oxygen and called Harbour Radio, who arranged for EMTs to meet the boat at Sandys Boat Club.

 

Ben Hartley, who was on the boat at the time, said it took about 20 minutes to get everyone back on board and get to shore. The incident happened around midday.

 

Mr Hartley said they did all they could to help the woman but she lost consciousness and later passed away at the King Edward VII Hospital.

 

In a separate incident yesterday, emergency crews were called to Ordnance Island to meet a SCUBA diving boat after a tourist complained of shortness of breath.

 

The man, in his 50s, was given oxygen by the crew. He was met by EMTs at the dock and it is understood he was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.

 

Bermuda police released the following statement about the death of Mrs Zapata this afternoon.

 

“Police have commenced an investigation into the death of an American woman who was visiting the island as a cruise ship passenger.

 

"It appears that around 12 noon on Tuesday, June 7th 52 year old Donna Zapata was in the Mangrove Bay area ‘helmet diving’ with family members when she got into difficulty.

 

"EMTs performed CPR as the victim was rushed to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital via ambulance; however they were unable to revive her.

 

"She was subsequently pronounced dead at 1pm on Tuesday by an on call physician at the hospital. An autopsy will be performed on the deceased during the course of this week.”

[swiss2619]

Embarkation was ok. I'm VERY used to sailing out of Lauderdale and Miami and we usually show up at the pier around 10:30 am and we're on board around 11 am. I would not suggest getting to Cape Liberty before 11:30 am because they do not begin boarding until noon. There were also 2 wedding parties on my cruise that they boarded before anyone else, so we actually didn't make it onto the ship until almost 1.

 

The one caveat to coming later is that in Bayonne you are shuttle bussed from the building where you check in to the ramp to board the ship. My girlfriend and I, having gotten their early, were in group number 1 and we were the fourth couple to board. I'm not sure how backed up the buses get later in the afternoon.

 

Debarkation was a breeze. We decided to check our baggage the night before (we normally do express departure). We were told to be in the Diamond/Diamond+ waiting area (Palace Theater on Deck 3) at 10:00 am. We got done with breakfast a little early and decided to walk over at 9:15 am only to be told that our group # 10 was just called and we could leave.

 

We were off the ship in literally 5 minutes and looking for our luggage.

 

A quick story about that... we checked two bags the night before. I placed my green luggage tags on both myself and triple checked everything. When we got to the holding area, only one of my bags were there and the green luggage tag was nowhere to be found. I alerted one of the RCI reps who pointed me to a desk. I then went to the desk and spoke to another rep who told me to "wait around, as everyone debarks the room will lighten and you will probably find your luggage was accidentally placed in another group". I walked every group and placed eyes on EVERY bag in the room and my bag was nowhere to be found. Finally, after 45 minutes, my girlfriend saw a porter wheeling the bag toward the group 10 area. She ran over to him and told him the bag was hers, and he said it was found in another room. Take it for what it's worth. I didn't let it ruin the vacation...

 

Once the luggage was found, we were through customs and getting into a taxi within 5 minutes.

 

As far as Bermuda goes, we bought the 2-day bus pass. It was $40 total for the two of us. We used it to see as much of the island as possible. Bermuda is really quite beautiful. I have been all over the Caribbean, and I think it is my favorite. Check out Horseshoe Bay if you're looking to spend a day on the beach. We spent 1 full day there. It gets a bit crowded, especially in the middle of the day. But if you don't mind people, it's well worth it.

I see that you are a diamond or diamond plus so hope you can answer a question for me. In the past, there was a special area of the dining room for breakfast for diamond/diamond plus cruisers. Read somewhere that this has been discontinued on some ships. Do you happen to know if this is still available on the Explorer on your cruise? I have enjoyed it in the past as it was much quicker service and a very nice sit-down breakfast. Thanks. Swiss

[stones902]

I see that you are a diamond or diamond plus so hope you can answer a question for me. In the past, there was a special area of the dining room for breakfast for diamond/diamond plus cruisers. Read somewhere that this has been discontinued on some ships. Do you happen to know if this is still available on the Explorer on your cruise? I have enjoyed it in the past as it was much quicker service and a very nice sit-down breakfast. Thanks. Swiss

 

We are Diamond + as well and were on this cruise. I seem to recall that they had a special dining area that we did not take advantage of so I can't comment on much about it. Wish I could answer your question more completely.

[maaaaattt]

I see that you are a diamond or diamond plus so hope you can answer a question for me. In the past, there was a special area of the dining room for breakfast for diamond/diamond plus cruisers. Read somewhere that this has been discontinued on some ships. Do you happen to know if this is still available on the Explorer on your cruise? I have enjoyed it in the past as it was much quicker service and a very nice sit-down breakfast. Thanks. Swiss

 

They did offer breakfast in the dining room for Diamond/Diamond+ and above. We did not take advantage of it so I can not offer many details, but I believe it was on deck 3 from 7 am to 9 am.

[joshl44444]

How was the calypso band and live music?

[stones902]

How was the calypso band and live music?

 

The band was very good. I would say one of the better bands that I have heard at sea.

 

One thing that I was disappointed about was that they had a DJ, rather than the band, play on deck at the sailaway out of NJ. Maybe I am a traditionalist but I prefer the band. That being said, people seemed to enjoy the music and many were dancing as we pulled out of the harbor.

 

When leaving Bermuda we did have the band in lieu of the DJ.