Explorer of the Seas Review Nov. 2012

[drrich2]

Will aim for concise yet informative since some folks 'just aren't that into you,' so to speak.

 

1.) 9 day Eastern Caribbean cruise 11-15-12 to disembark the morning of 11-24-12.

 

2.) Flew to Newark Airport in Jersey 11-14-12 & spent a night at the Penn Station Hilton; you don't get free wifi like a lot of cheaper hotels. Pay for the airport-to-hotel, hotel-to-pier & pier-to-airport transfers, because I wouldn't want to drive in Jersey.

 

3.) Embarkation a tad tedious but not too bad. We're gold members (wife & I) & booked an inside stateroom on Deck 7 near the front of the ship.

 

4.) Ship's in good shape. Those new soda machines are neat; we did the soda package. Soft-serve frozen yogurt machines can do strawberry or chocolate or vanila (you can swirl the last 2) - swirled soft-serve is a big deal for me. Deck 11, outside & turn turn when exiting the Windjammer. If you catch a movie (we saw Sherlock Holmes, a Game of Shadows) it's in the screening room & the screen is rather small and not widescreen, but still enjoyed it.

 

5.) At the Windjammer, in the Jade section, there's often Indian food. Pour over & mix with rice, spicy, quite good. Windjammer can be challenging to find a seat in at peak times.

 

6.) Service in MDR (My Time Dining) was quite good; I wondered whether staff would do well without trying to earn an end-of-week tip, and they did fine. Convenience in working meals around our schedule was good. I requested extra other vegetables in place of potatoes & was accommodated nicely when I did so.

 

7.) Pool water was too chilly went I wanted to swim, late in the cruise.

 

8.) I thought a Voyager class ship would have minimal movement, even in rough seas. Bull. Those 2 days heading south going, & north coming back, the ship rocks plenty and my sea sickness-prone pregnant wife who didn't want to take med.s spent a lot of time abed those 3 to 4 days.

 

9.) I parasailed in Labidee; nice. I didn't realized you lift off from & return to land back on the back of the boat & don't even get wet. Pretty sweet.

 

10.) A woman who tried a Segway in San Juan indicated it can be fairly jarring (like on brick roads) and you use your body to steer to a point, not just your hands on a steering wheel as a car would do. There was a bit more to it than she expected. I didn't do that tour.

 

11.) Enjoyed the ATV tour in Samana, Dominican Republic.

 

12.) Booked a private scuba excursion with Admiralty Dive in St. Thomas; was quite pleased. 2 Dives and saw an octopus, a pretty big jack, some small moray eels, some spiny lobsters, and more.

 

13.) Production shows & head liners were pretty good; the guy who sang the theme song to 'Happy Days,' a couple of comedians, a magician who used to work at Caesar's Palace & was good with rope & card tricks, an old-time rock & roll trio, and some other acts were enjoyed. I was concerned shows by the ship performers on nights without a 'brand name headliner' wouldn't be as entertaining, but was pleasantly surprised; they've got some fine singers & dancers with good shows to perform.

 

13.) Under-parented kids & loud northern-sounding women were noise issues, and some teens (and some adults) seemed to regard the Deck 7 library as a place for fairly loud group conversations.

 

14.) Did that roughly $300 package to get prints of our photos, a CD with the photos & a limited copy right release, and we made sure to take advantage of lots of photo op.s. I'd say we made out well on that. Neither of us likes most pics of us, but the RCI photog.s do good work.

 

15.) Bought the $150 (-10% gold member booklet coupon) 500 minute internet package & had under 20 minutes unused at the end of the cruise.

 

16.) Big shout out to our cabin steward Christopher Graham from Jamaica, who did a great job and we'd love to have again. Excellent service.

 

17.) I'm 43 and chubby. I don't climb rock walls, in-line skate, play miniature golf, drink alcoholic beverages, ice skate or dance or go to the arcade, so some things I can't really speak to.

 

18.) Enjoyed the enrichment lectures early afternoons; caught those on Puerto Rico & St. Thomas, Haiti and Real Pirates of the Caribbean. Also the Innocence Project. Fine presentations and indeed enrichment.

 

19.) Watched the sexiest man contest to amuse wife.

 

20.) Cruise ship art is always weird in my experience, but interesting. Same here.

 

21.) Ate at Johnny Rocket's one day because wife likes to hit them on cruises. Still can't wrap my head around paying a $9.90 cover charge for 2 people when we could've eaten free in the Windjammer, but wife preferred their 'Double Rocket' burger.

 

22.) Ice Show as always quite good.

 

23.) I usually pay little attention to who staff are, but Richard Spacey was our Cruise Director and he really does add to the experience. He can dance, too! And he was right; when we got home after 9 days on board, our master bathroom felt like an apartment.

 

24.) In Labidee, the large covered vendor building is low pressure and good. The line of outdoor vendors are so desperate to make a sale they're quite overbearing and basically drove my wife and I away.

 

25.) Since I'd done Adventure of the Seas (7 day southern Caribbean cruise on honeymoon) - same size ship, lots of ports, only 1 sea day I think, busy-busy) and Liberty of the Seas (7 day cruise, bigger ship), and thought RCI might be focusing their main efforts on the Oasis-class vessels, I was concerned Explorer would be anti-climatic & a tad boring. Nope; I had a great time. Ship did not feel old or like some sort of 'has been.'

 

26.) First time in an inside stateroom. It was nice, didn't feel too much like a sardine in a can. I do suspect having a 3'rd person in the room using a Pullman bed would've been pushing it, though.

 

So, fine cruise, fine ship, excellent staff, good shows, enjoyed the ports & excursions and a couple of sea days at the start to settle in and enjoy the ship, and to relax and gradually prepare to leave at the end, longer than a week but not so long I wanted it to end, well, overall a great cruise & I'd love to do it again.

 

But if you're prone to sea sickness & don't have a treatment that works real well for you, pick a Caribbean cruise that departs from south Florida or somewhere else in the Caribbean. Don't pick a New Jersey departure with 4 days of cruising the Atlantic Ocean hoping that the 'big' ship with stabilizers won't move much. Bwah-hah-hah!!!

 

Richard.

[Jenn31708]

Great review, thanks!

 

I'm on the Explorer in March for 10 days, with 7 people that have never cruised before. I know my sister in law is going to freak out about the ship moving so much. I'm really hoping for very smooth seas.

 

I'm glad the shows were so good, that's a big part of what we're looking forward to.

 

Is there any way to reserve tickets ahead of time for these shows or is it only once on the ship?

 

Did you happen to notice any lingering odors? I know there was some water damage from hurricane Sandy, and the crew worked hard to replace a lot of the carpeting.... but I did hear mention of some smells in the hallways and cabins.

[drrich2]

With my allergies I don't smell much, but my wife didn't mention any stenches that I recall. I did see what may've been some water stains on hallway carpet.

 

Sorry, but the Atlantic is not the Caribbean and there's going to be some moving. Not real subtle, either. Better get some Bonine, Ginger &/or what-have-you because those 'at sea' days at the start & end can be rough. I thought it wasn't an issue with ships this big, but I was wrong.

 

They hand out tickets to the ice shows (which were only held on 2 days) - you go down to get them. There was a ridiculously long line for them (out a dining room, up stairs, down the Royal Promenade and then running back up it), but that line moved fairly fast, and only one person for a room (I think it was) had to go stand in line. The evening shows had adequate seating. We usually caught the 7:15 p.m. show, then went and ate in the MDR (there's also a 9 p.m. show).

 

Richard.

[luvscruising2007]

Thanks for the review. We leave in 4 days and I am so looking forward to it.

[meatloafsfan]

Thanks for your review. I have a couple of questions if you don't mind as I'm doing this cruise (with my parents) at the end of February.

 

When were the formal nights?

 

Do you recall if Johnny Rockets had any tables (not just booths)? My mother is in a wheelchair and can not transfer into a booth but my father is really hoping to try it out (he loves onion rings!).

 

Not rock climbing, ice skating, etc - (cause I'm 38 and more than just chubby), did you find enough activities to participate in on the ship to keep you busy? We're trying to stay out of the casino this time so I'm wondering about bringing along books, puzzles, travel games etc to keep us occupied.

 

Thank you.

 

Oh, and thank you for the information about the ship movement. I do get sea sick but find that most of the time I can handle the Caribbean. I will make sure to start the gravel the night before so that I don't end up in bed for the first two days of the cruise.

[davy jones]

Very nice summary of the Explorer. Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

Some comments from your summary and some questions.

 

Sorry about your wife's seasickness. Everyone has a different tolerance toward ship movement. I find that the forward area of the ship has the most movement. Aft is better and midship is best. If your cabin decision is fore or aft, choose aft.

 

I find the odor to be hit and miss. It is caused by wet carpets and the cabin shower drains. It does not happen in the public areas. If your cabin is away from an affected area, you won't notice it at all.

 

At lunchtime, the MDR used the same burger patties as Johnny Rockets. They're much better than the WJ. They don't have the onion rings and only standard toppings. I belive that a burger in the MDR and the tutti salad bar is the best lunch on the ship.

[JulieRose]

Thanks for the review!

 

meatloafsfan: We're on the same sailing as you are. I'm now nervous about the sway but we have a PR cabin and will be close to the center of the ship so I'm hoping that it won't be as bad.

[cgr377]

Thanks for your review. I have a couple of questions if you don't mind as I'm doing this cruise (with my parents) at the end of February.

 

When were the formal nights?

 

Do you recall if Johnny Rockets had any tables (not just booths)? My mother is in a wheelchair and can not transfer into a booth but my father is really hoping to try it out (he loves onion rings!).

 

Not rock climbing, ice skating, etc - (cause I'm 38 and more than just chubby), did you find enough activities to participate in on the ship to keep you busy? We're trying to stay out of the casino this time so I'm wondering about bringing along books, puzzles, travel games etc to keep us occupied.

 

Thank you.

 

Oh, and thank you for the information about the ship movement. I do get sea sick but find that most of the time I can handle the Caribbean. I will make sure to start the gravel the night before so that I don't end up in bed for the first two days of the cruise.

when we cruise out of jersey we buy the motion patch which works very well for us we had 35ft. seas one day and no problem with the patch ,in canada you can pick them up at pharmacy with no prescription each patch is good for 3 days

[nyer]

 

But if you're prone to sea sickness & don't have a treatment that works real well for you, pick a Caribbean cruise that departs from south Florida or somewhere else in the Caribbean. Don't pick a New Jersey departure with 4 days of cruising the Atlantic Ocean hoping that the 'big' ship with stabilizers won't move much. Bwah-hah-hah!!!

 

Richard.

 

I am very prone to sea sickness. I have sailed out of Bayonne four times. I take ginger tablets (starting the day before I sail) and half a Bonine (taken at night) for the first two days. After that, I just take the ginger tablets. I have not had any problems with sea sickness.

I hope that everyone enjoys their cruise.

[Nessa1dc]

Thank you for the review....I will be on her on Monday...can't wait.

[Candleonwater]

Voyager class ships are my favorite, and next thanksgiving will be my first time sailing out of NJ.

 

The Solarium pool - open as with the Mariner and Navigator? How was the kid population in there?

 

This ship has "adventure beach" instead of the teen deck out back, correct? Do you know if this is geared more towards the little ones?

[retird]

I was on the same cruise as OP. We were in a balcony Deck 10 forward. Carpets looked new in cabin and no smells. Hallway did have some water stains but no smell. Even for a forward cabin, we had no problem with sea sickness. When the Captain warned that the sea might be a little rough, we consumed our bonine and let the motion just rocked us to sleep.

 

I was very impressed with the new menu in the MDR. The lobster tails are much larger than usual. and no problem getting a second or more. Appetizers and desserts were fantastic. I also enjoyed the veal T-bone steak. The filet beef was excellent as well. I did not keep a copy of the menu.

 

Formal nights were night 2 and 8. There was a mixture of men in suits, jackets with ties and a few tuxes. In our MDR at 6 pm seating, there were less tuxes than suits and jackets. There were a number in jackets and no tie and quite a few wore slacks and polo or dress shirt. Everyone looked nice and happy and that was the important thing. A lot of women in short dresses or pantsuits on all nights and they looked beautiful, but as my wife says, women always dress better than men:).

 

I especially enjoyed the menu for Thanksgiving and being canadian and having celebrated ours in October , I got two Thanksgivings celebrations this year. Richard Spacey is fantastic and his singers and dancers do an excellent job. The main liner acts were very enjoyable , some better than others , but that is the same in land venues. LOVE that ship.

[shortchange1969]

Being that I am from Jersey, I'd really like to know what a "northern sounding woman" is. Not all of us are like the cast of The Sopranos or The Jersey Shore..(which by the way, more than half of that cast are not from Jersey..)

[Maraprince]

Try using the Sea Bands -- contains no drugs so a pregnant woman can use without any fear. They really work with none of the side effects you get from Dramine or Bonnie (dry mouth and drowsiness).

 

I have been on the EOS 6 times now. Last trip was 11/4-11/15 right after the hurricane. We had a smooth sailing going down, but it was a lot rougher coming back up to NJ. Pool was drained about 3 times in all and some of the outside decks were closed off due to high winds. We had almost 6 sea days -- 2-1/2 going down and 3 coming back.

 

By this time, all the damaged rugs should be gone. They were still replacing them throughout our sailing.

 

MARAPRINCE

[drrich2]

Being that I am from Jersey, I'd really like to know what a "northern sounding woman" is. Not all of us are like the cast of The Sopranos or The Jersey Shore..(which by the way, more than half of that cast are not from Jersey..)

 

You're from Jersey & you don't know what a northern sounding woman sounds like?

 

My wife and I live in Kentucky, so naturally northerners sound odd to us. Probably not to you, whereas we would elicit a 'You're not from around here, are you?' type reaction up north.

 

A review of forum threads shows there are a range of groups who offend cruisers in some way; red-necks, over-entitled narcissistic old people (or diamond & above Crown & Anchor members), shrieking babies, disruptive kids (especially going into the Solarium), overbearing religious people, anti-gay people, negativistic people, people dressing casually in the MDR on formal nights, etc...

 

This time, notables included northern sounding women, or that was our impression being from KY. We don't watch the Sopranos or Jersey Shore.

 

Richard.

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[drrich2]

Meatloafsfan:

 

Johnny Rockets has a row of places to sit outside (don't recall offhand if they were booth style or tables), a row inside, and a row of bar stools. It was busy inside when we dropped by so we sat on bar stools.

 

I took reading materials but had time & inclination to read very little. I saw a number of people on Deck with e-readers on this cruise.

 

Richard.

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[marci22]

To me, a northern sounding woman is someone from Staten Island or Brooklyn.

[will773]

Thanks for your review!

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review!