1st time cruiser on the Explorer of the Seas March 2013

[Ccckreed]

Well, we survived our first cruise on Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas. We had a good time.

 

The ship was beautiful but is starting to show it's age. The food was good, it was not as good (to us) as some people told us it was. Return cruisers said the food was not the same quality or type that they received last year on this ship. Could have been due to a lot of kids wasting food, I don't really know.

 

We met a lot of nice people from different parts of the country and different countries.

 

The staff was great, everyone was polite, helpful and in general happy. The most rememberable one was WASHEE WASHEE as you entered the Windjamer.

 

We visited 3 ports, Port Canaveral Florida, Nassau Bahamas and CoCo Cay Bahamas. When you get off at all of the ports there is staff there to take pictures of you. So if you choice to get the picture package that I mention below get as many posses taken as you like. DON'T forget you Sea Pass and picture ID for adults. You don't need your passport only Sea Pass and picture ID.

 

Port Canaveral..1pm-11pm there really wasn't much to do or see near by. I didn't feel we had enough time to go further inland to do an excursion and get our monies worth. If we ever stop at that port again, we will just stay on the ship.

 

Nassua 2pm-midnight was beautiful. We went to Atlantis Dolphin Cay for the Dolphin excursion. We booked directly with Atlantis as the option to book through RCI was not available at that time. We paid $150/per person and $4/person one way for a taxi. The excursion was great, not sure if it was worth the money but it was a once in a life time thing for us, so in the end I guess it was. We didn't get to walk around Atlantis, but we are planning on flying down and staying at one of their resorts for a future trip. It looked amazing. The taxi ride back to the port was most rememberable. Our driver was as funny as can be. He even offered some gonji to one of my friends, I couldn't stop laughing at the look on her face. :) (no we did NOT take him up on his offer). The weather was absolutely beautiful. We ddin't make it to the Straw Market, but did some shopping near the ship.

 

Our last stop was at RCI private island CoCo Cay. It was a nice relaxing day. My husband refused to use sun block and got burned. They had a BBQ type lunch set up for us. The good was good. If you go make sure you go early and get an umbrella for shade as they rent them all out quickly for $10 for the day. Don't forget to take money with you on the island as there are vendors there and they do not take your Sea Pass.

 

As to the ship, the shows are great and you must see them. Our cruise director was Richard Spacey and it was his last week on EOS and he was fabulous!!!!! Great shows and parades.

 

We purchased a picture package for $450.00 unlimited packages and we had our two rooms (traveled with friends) linked so what ever pictures were taken of each other we each got a complete set. So if you choice to do this find the camera as much as you can and have them take as many picture combinations as you like. Don't for get that they take pictures on deck 5 near the dinning room so you can have family portraits done and they are included in this package. Check out the Art Studio/Portrait space on Deck 4 near the dinning room for pictures taken daily.

 

Make sure you take a walk to the front of the ship and hang on it's kind of windy.

 

We used the patches behind the ears and everyone was good, no one got sick.

 

All in all it was a great trip. I will cruise again, I would like to try a different ship next time just to see the different ones.

 

I hope this helped and I hope you enjoyed reading.

[leaveitallbehind]

Glad you enjoyed your cruise and good review. Washee Washee was there on both our last times on Explorer - he is becoming a cult celebrity. Not sure I understand your comment about kids wasting food and the food quality as a result, but Explorer has changed to the new menu recently so the food selections have some new additions. And food quality is always subjective. The ship's crew is also very good. BTW - the captain is the youngest in the RCI fleet. Agree, Richard Spacey is a great CD. But the staff shows are a bit old and could use refreshing in our opinion compared to other ships we've been on recently. But overall, Explorer is a great ship and we will likely sail her again one day.

[asylum575]

The photo package was $450?

[danyelle]

Glad you enjoyed your first cruise, and happy to hear you'll be booking another!

 

$450 for pics sounds horrific, how was the quality of the pics?

[Bell Ringer]

Nestor was our asst. waiter in the main dining room. He was assigned to 3 tables of 10 at our seating and I assume at the second seating. He just loved his job at the Windjammer, and was so much fun to hear his chatter as we arrived for either breakfast or lunch ( whichever he was working during the day.) He was a fabulous asst. waiter, and told us he had been offered to move up to waiter, but just loved being the Windjammer greeter, and during our week, he was asst. for a 1st time waiter, and was very competent....as well as assisting another waiter and his two tables. Nestor loved to share that his wife was pregnant, and he would be going home in May to spend time with his new family.

What fun he was.

[B-52]

Glad you enjoyed your first cruise.....watch out or you will get hooked....

If you're coming to this forum (Cruise Critic) that means you probably already are hooked....

The Explorer is not our favorite ship, it's not our least favorite either..... but we can drive there (and NYC) in 40 minutes from home so that's good enough for us....

[asylum575]

I checked online. The photo package for a 9 night cruise is $225. I think the OP had two cabins associated with his booking, so the $450 might be for both.

Waiting for OP to clarify.

[leaveitallbehind]

I checked online. The photo package for a 9 night cruise is $225. I think the OP had two cabins associated with his booking, so the $450 might be for both.

Waiting for OP to clarify.

 

That was my take on it as well. The OP referred to two cabins and linked photos.

[Ccckreed]

Yes, the package that we bought was for 2 cabins. I think the original price was like $299.00 so we decided to link both cabins together (2 separate families) traveling together. Our stack ended up being about 2-3 inches thick for each of us. There was 7 people in our party. The price of one 8x10 was like $19.95 each and the 5x7 were like $12.95 each. We divided the cost so it came out to $225.00 per cabin and it was cheaper than the original package and we each got a copy of all of the pictures. Normally I wouldn't have done it but there was some great photos of all of us together and the pictures are beautifully done. We will definately go on another cruise. I am a lover of the sea and had a great time with no tv, no phones and no day to day drama. I think next time we might try Disney or Norweigin that is if I can get our youngest to fly. Other wise we will do RCI again. It was about a 3 1/2 hour drive from our home and very easy to get to. We stayed in Elizabeth at the Best Western Plus. We got a room for one night (Park and cruise) and it was $199.50 for the 4 of us, with 10 free parking and free shuttle to and from the port.

[leaveitallbehind]

Yes, the package that we bought was for 2 cabins. I think the original price was like $299.00 so we decided to link both cabins together (2 separate families) traveling together. Our stack ended up being about 2-3 inches thick for each of us. There was 7 people in our party. The price of one 8x10 was like $19.95 each and the 5x7 were like $12.95 each. We divided the cost so it came out to $225.00 per cabin and it was cheaper than the original package and we each got a copy of all of the pictures. Normally I wouldn't have done it but there was some great photos of all of us together and the pictures are beautifully done. We will definately go on another cruise. I am a lover of the sea and had a great time with no tv, no phones and no day to day drama. I think next time we might try Disney or Norweigin that is if I can get our youngest to fly. Other wise we will do RCI again. It was about a 3 1/2 hour drive from our home and very easy to get to. We stayed in Elizabeth at the Best Western Plus. We got a room for one night (Park and cruise) and it was $199.50 for the 4 of us, with 10 free parking and free shuttle to and from the port.

 

And with Quantum of the Seas coming to Bayonne in 11/14 there will be more options with RCI to using that port. I would think your young one will love that ship! Don't forget to sign up with the Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program - you and your family are now Gold!.

 

Welcome to cruising - obviously another one hooked! :D

[narrow56]

We were on the same cruise as you. It was fantastic!