Explorer of the Seas

[Spender Nui]

Thinking of booking the Explorer for a family vacation and wondering what her current condition is. Can anyone help?

[Melrosgirl]

We sailed Explorer last month and were very happy with her condition. Overall, I thought it was a great ship. Some wear and tear (carpets in hallway need replacing), but overall no complaints. (Prior to our cruise people complained about sewage smells. Although I did notice it here and there, it was nothing major. I've noticed the same smells on the Disney Dream last year (brand new ship).

[luvfamvaca]

You may want to check the reviews and the forum for EOS, there are many that say she is a little worn and stains on some carpets but overall in good shape, the crew is said to be great and very good about keeping it clean. We booked it for next summer and looking forward to it!

[luvfamvaca]

We sailed Explorer last month

 

 

Just curious…Was it to Bermuda? If so, anything you could share about your journey would be great! :)

[kcbookworm]

We sailed Explorer last month

 

 

Just curious…Was it to Bermuda? If so, anything you could share about your journey would be great! :)

 

I just got back Thursday from the 5 night to Bermuda out of Cape Liberty NJ. I would be happy to try to answer your questions!

 

As for the conditon of the Explorer, our cabin was a little "dated", but otherwise clean and everything worked fine. Some of the hallways had stained carpet, but it didn't ruin my vacation :) The common areas, like the promenade and theater, were in great condition. It appears they spend more on maintaining those areas instead of the cabins, but that is ok as long as my cabin is clean and everything works!

[lakelorain]

In great condition for a ship of her age that lives in the North Atlantic. Outstanding crew.

[luvfamvaca]

Would love to know

*how the waters were, not going to stop us by any means, just like to hear if they were rough or glass.

*if you went to Destination Dockyard and/or beach bbq party and how is it

*if you visited the fort/museum @ Dockyard and how was it

*if you visited Snorkel Park and if you know how late they let you stay on the beach

*if you ventured to Sea Glass Beach and did you take public transportation there or walk

(no need for info on Horseshoe Bay, I've been staring at photos for weeks and still have it on my desktop lol)

*if you wish to make any recommendations (its our first trip to Bermuda!)

*how was food on ship

[joyceluvsjames]

Thanks for the info on Explorer. We are heading to Bermuda for a 7 night cruise leaving NJ this coming October. Looking forward to it very much!

[lakelorain]

Would love to know

*how the waters were, not going to stop us by any means, just like to hear if they were rough or glass.

*if you went to Destination Dockyard and/or beach bbq party and how is it

*if you visited the fort/museum @ Dockyard and how was it

*if you visited Snorkel Park and if you know how late they let you stay on the beach

*if you ventured to Sea Glass Beach and did you take public transportation there or walk

(no need for info on Horseshoe Bay, I've been staring at photos for weeks and still have it on my desktop lol)

*if you wish to make any recommendations (its our first trip to Bermuda!)

*how was food on ship

Can only answer some of your questions. The fort at the dockyard is interesting and you can walk there from the ship.

I'd suggest an island tour if it is your first visit.

Food is good.

Seas can go either way. Have been on very calm cruises but mostly somewhat rough and one very rough.

[jt'scruisinmom]

We were on the Explorer in April and had a great time. I agree with most of the comments here about her condition.

 

The seas.....you really won't know till you get there. In April, the seas were like glass and in July we were on the Summit and there was a little rocking and rolling.

 

Bermuda is beautiful, as I'm sure you know. The fort is interesting and if you walk all the way around, you will find a trail that leads to the dolphin area. We were able to sit and watch the show for a bit. If you go to the Bermuda Port section of CC and do a little research you'll find a great post about Sea Glass Beach, including maps. It's really quite easy to get to. We took the minibus to Horseshoe and are so glad we did. It was $6 each way per person, dropped us off at the bottom of the hill. The driver gave us several different pickup time options and when we were ready to leave the beach, we just wandered up the path a little and got our minibus back to the ship. Quick and easy. Snorkel park is the location of the beach barbeque. We have not been to the barbeque, but have visited the park. Honestly, I wasn't impressed. There are so many beautiful beaches in Bermuda, this really isn't one of them. If you have time, check out St. George's. Interesting little area and there is also a nice snorkeling beach and another sea glass beach close by. Again, you can find alot of the info on the CC Bermuda port link.

 

Have a wonderful time.

[ERIE 13]

All you cruisers keep her nice and clean. Will be on her soon.

[kcbookworm]

Here are a few replies ...

 

*how the waters were, not going to stop us by any means, just like to hear if they were rough or glass.

The seas weren't too rough on the way to Bermuda, but it was quite rough on the way back. My daughter actually got seasick on the way back, which is unusual for her. My children and I all have pretty strong stomachs, but the kids did choose to take Bonine on the sea days. My daughter hadn't taken hers yet when she got sick and felt better later after taking some. If you are susceptible to sea sickness I recommend getting some Bonine and take 2 tablets before going to bed the first night just to be on the safe side.

 

 

*if you visited the fort/museum @ Dockyard and how was it

We visited the fort and museum and it was well worth the $10 admission just for the view! The museum and commissioner's house were very good, but a word of warning that the commissioner's house is not air conditioning and it was quite hot by the time we got to the third floor. We stepped outside to enjoy the breeze and view and it was worth the heat. You also have access to the dolphin area and can go watch them.

 

 

*if you wish to make any recommendations (its our first trip to Bermuda!)

I started a thread when I returned that might help!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1676175

 

 

*how was food on ship

The food in the dining room was good, some nights better than others. But it was plentiful and we enjoyed at least 2 appetizers each and would order 2 or 3 desserts to share, so we got to try a lot of items. We enjoyed the little sandwiches at the Cafe Promenade as well as the pizza.

 

Just a plug for Portofinos ... We ate at Portofinos the first night because it was a gift from our travel agent and it was soooo good we booked it again for the last night. My daughter had a t-bone that she said was one of the best steaks she ever had and she eats a lot of steaks! The breads were much better than MDR as were the appetizers. The desserts were to die for. This is our third time on RCI and we always thought "why pay more for the specialty restaurant when we have already paid for the MDR?" Well now we know why! If it hadn't been a gift from the travel agent, we probably would not have tried it, but once we did we were hooked! I should mention that our 3 dinners in the MDR were very good, but they really pull out all the stops at Portofinos.

[roscoegirl]

Would love to know

*how the waters were, not going to stop us by any means, just like to hear if they were rough or glass. I don't believe we ever felt much movement except when we were in bed, just a very soothing/gentle rocking--slept wonderfully!

 

*if you went to Destination Dockyard and/or beach bbq party and how is it-We had tickets to the beach bbq party until I learned from some of the crew that it's really a big crew party!:eek: That was fine with us as we were exhausted from touring around all day--we canceled and had dinner on the ship.

 

*if you visited the fort/museum @ Dockyard and how was it--only visited a couple of the attractions at Dockyard; the set up is very nice and there's a free trolley to take you all over the area.

 

*if you visited Snorkel Park and if you know how late they let you stay on the beach--Did not visit Snorkel Park: I learned from some of the locals that they do not support that beach (its' not very nice) because it's the ONLY public beach in Bermuda where visitors are required to pay--they don't like that!:)

 

*if you ventured to Sea Glass Beach and did you take public transportation there or walk--Went to the Glass Beach; only suitable for collecting glass and/or taking a few pics; not suitable for swimming

 

(no need for info on Horseshoe Bay, I've been staring at photos for weeks and still have it on my desktop lol)

 

*if you wish to make any recommendations (its our first trip to Bermuda!)--Venture thru Hamilton and St. George...good food/great shopping

 

*how was food on ship

I was not all the crazy about the food in the MDR...Windjammer was just OK...Cafe Promenade was good for a quick fix...Johnny Rockets was good and Portofino's was Superb! Hope this helps some and be prepared to enjoy yourselves in Bermuda!

[DonnaK]

In great condition for a ship of her age that lives in the North Atlantic. Outstanding crew.

 

We were on EX at the end of May, and totally agree. Especially about the exceptional crew!!!

 

The public areas of the ship are very well-maintained. Our cabins were a bit worn, dated and in need of refurbishing. However, they were very clean and certainly livable.

[luvfamvaca]

Thank you everyone for taking the time to answer my questions! Happy cruising!:D

[msrojacks]

I'll be on the Explorer sept 23 to Bermuda this year. I really can't wait. This is my second cruise..the first was a Princess and I LOVED IT.

Does anyone know if the Explorer does Mystery Dinners? I know some ships are doing them these days...Thanks

[jerseybeachmom]

Thinking of booking the Explorer for a family vacation and wondering what her current condition is. Can anyone help?

 

We just got off EOS today and she looks just fine. As far as wear and tear, or stains, I have to day that many people are not very careful with putting food or beverages outside the cabins. We saw several instances of people that left drinks to spill and soak into the carpets, food overflowing room service plates left in the halls. The crew is always cleaning. Go with her- crew is fabulous and she is a great ship.

[jerseybeachmom]

I'll be on the Explorer sept 23 to Bermuda this year. I really can't wait. This is my second cruise..the first was a Princess and I LOVED IT.

Does anyone know if the Explorer does Mystery Dinners? I know some ships are doing them these days...Thanks

 

There were no Mystery Dinners on EOS but what a great suggestion! They had "Silent Night" in the Chamber, which is the dance club- what a blast! You should definetly check that out if only for the experience.

[montekat]

All you cruisers keep her nice and clean. Will be on her soon.

 

Please stop by the Roll Call for our group http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1384974

 

Looking forward to meeting you and everyone onboard.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

There were no Mystery Dinners on EOS but what a great suggestion! They had "Silent Night" in the Chamber, which is the dance club- what a blast! You should definetly check that out if only for the experience.

 

We sail the EOS to Bermuda in Oct. Can you tell me what "Silent Night" is?

[northcove]

We sailed Explorer last month and were very happy with her condition. Overall, I thought it was a great ship. Some wear and tear (carpets in hallway need replacing), but overall no complaints. (Prior to our cruise people complained about sewage smells. Although I did notice it here and there, it was nothing major. I've noticed the same smells on the Disney Dream last year (brand new ship).

 

I forgot to mention the sewage smell in the review I did. It was bad enough that we couldn't use our balcony, or keep the door open from St. Maarten, until we left Puerto Rico. So a day and half.

 

But, we didn't spend most of the time in our room anyway so it didn't make an impact on our cruise.

 

The ship itself is great for it's age. A bit of wear and tear and yeah, the rooms are dated but they keep it clean and the layout is great.

[SeafordCruiser]

We sail the EOS to Bermuda in Oct. Can you tell me what "Silent Night" is?

Just got off the Explorer -9 nights- today..

Silent Night in The Chamber (disco) is when they give everyone headphones that have two channels. Two different DJs are playing different music and you decide what you are dancing to. People watching without headphones just see a bunch of people doing all sorts of different moves on the dance floor. It was fun the first night! Second time we went in but there wasnt that many peple there. I think they were all in the Quest. Heard later on, it was crowded again...You gotta try it!:D

PS It was a wonderful cruise..great ship..superb service!

[dawnmariex]

There was a mystery dinner on the 7-5-12 Explorer cruise. Not sure how long it will continue, as there is speculation on these boards that they may stop them.

[celebrity]

Just got off the Explorer -9 nights- today..

Silent Night in The Chamber (disco) is when they give everyone headphones that have two channels. Two different DJs are playing different music and you decide what you are dancing to. People watching without headphones just see a bunch of people doing all sorts of different moves on the dance floor. It was fun the first night! Second time we went in but there wasnt that many peple there. I think they were all in the Quest. Heard later on, it was crowded again...You gotta try it!:D

PS It was a wonderful cruise..great ship..superb service!

 

Glad you had a good time. The Silent Party is a blast.

[jerseybeachmom]

Just got off the Explorer -9 nights- today..

Silent Night in The Chamber (disco) is when they give everyone headphones that have two channels. Two different DJs are playing different music and you decide what you are dancing to. People watching without headphones just see a bunch of people doing all sorts of different moves on the dance floor. It was fun the first night! Second time we went in but there wasnt that many peple there. I think they were all in the Quest. Heard later on, it was crowded again...You gotta try it!:D

PS It was a wonderful cruise..great ship..superb service!

 

I will also say that Silent Night was alot of fun, plus I heard that it was nice for people that weren't dancing as they could have a normal conversation without the music in ther background. We went the first night, and you are right- the second night conflicted with The Quest.