Windjammer/quick Explorer review 7/26/14

[MattSaw]

DW and I just got home from the 5-day sailing on the Explorer to Bermuda. We had a really wonderful time celebrating our 30th anniversary. It was our first cruise ever with just the two of us.

 

Several (other) good points about the cruise:

 

Lee Xuereb, an Australian, is a very entertaining CD. His Turkish sidekick, Erky, brings a fun, slightly bizarre twist to the proceedings.

 

The current orchestra and singers on this cruise are notably better than I've seen on the last several RC cruises, including on the Allure. They had a much tighter ensemble feel and were just more precise players and singers.

 

The headliners (musical impressionist Gregg London and magician/comedian Scott Alexander) were excellent! I'd go to see either of them in a heartbeat.

 

We went on the ship's overview minivan tour of Bermuda -- also excellent! It was scheduled for 5 hours (including stops), but Andrew, our guide (a Bermuda police K9 officer), extended it to over six. Really relaxing and helpful overview of the island.

 

In St. George's, Bermuda, we ate lunch in a funky little place called the CV Cafe. Really great! I think it's run by a boho expat woman from Canada. Very friendly service and delicious salads in a sprawling coffeehouse-like atmosphere. I recommend it highly.

 

The Explorer has the Coke Freestyle machines, which are a nice convenience for a Diet Coke addict like me.

 

Room service breakfast on our balcony is something we always enjoy. The service was timely every time.

 

The only minus I would cite was the quality and variety of the food in the Windjammer. I am not Mr. Haute Cuisine by any stretch, but a lot of the hot food (esp. the pasta) is awfully greasy and congealed-looking. Also, the sandwich fixings are essentially ham and cheese. Would turkey break the budget? A wider variety of vegetables would also be appropriate. I am pretty adaptable, but it was at the low end of mealtime enjoyment.

 

We are pretty strong RCI loyalists, but I have to say that I would consider a switch for fresher, healthier, more varied lunch options. RCI, please take note.

 

Dinner in the MDR, on the other hand, was quite tasty and fresh. Our waiters, Letisha and Jitesh, did a great job. Also, the head waiter was able to switch us from the late seating to the early seating without muss or fuss (we boarded quite early, though, and hotfooted it to see her.)

 

We sailed out of Bayonne. It's a pretty scruffy area and terminal, but the RCI staff in the terminal (mostly seniors, as in Florida) were very friendly. Not what New Jersey-bashers would lead you to expect.

 

The passengers had a pretty wide age dispersion, but there were far more people from the Tri-State area and far fewer college students than we've seen on other cruises.

 

On the whole, it was a wonderful trip with my wonderful wife. This is about our seventh RCI cruise, and we hope to be back many times more.

 

I welcome any questions.

 

Matt

Raleigh, NC

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report from a fellow Raleigh dweller!

[Retiredprofessor]

We were also on this sailing and agree with your take on the Windjammer. It really is a noticeable decrease in quality and very crowded. Having said that, just about all other aspects of the cruise were great. Staff includes some of the friendliest and most accommodating people on the seas. And we really love the Explorer. Sailing again on her at the end of October and will miss her terribly when she leaves Bayonne. Thanks for you review.

[MattSaw]

When we went on the Allure, we ate lunch at the Park Cafe almost every day. It was a considerable improvement. In some ways, that was the main plus factor for us with that class of ship. Having to sign up for shows was an offsetting minus, my wife pointed out.

 

I'd be interested to hear others' comments on the Windjammer food. How much cost can they really be saving?

 

We were also on this sailing and agree with your take on the Windjammer. It really is a noticeable decrease in quality and very crowded. Having said that, just about all other aspects of the cruise were great. Staff includes some of the friendliest and most accommodating people on the seas. And we really love the Explorer. Sailing again on her at the end of October and will miss her terribly when she leaves Bayonne. Thanks for you review.

[dlacruise]

DW and I just got home from the 5-day sailing on the Explorer to Bermuda. We had a really wonderful time celebrating our 30th anniversary. It was our first cruise ever with just the two of us.

 

Several (other) good points about the cruise:

 

Lee Xuereb, an Australian, is a very entertaining CD. His Turkish sidekick, Erky, brings a fun, slightly bizarre twist to the proceedings.

 

The current orchestra and singers on this cruise are notably better than I've seen on the last several RC cruises, including on the Allure. They had a much tighter ensemble feel and were just more precise players and singers.

 

The headliners (musical impressionist Gregg London and magician/comedian Scott Alexander) were excellent! I'd go to see either of them in a heartbeat.

 

We went on the ship's overview minivan tour of Bermuda -- also excellent! It was scheduled for 5 hours (including stops), but Andrew, our guide (a Bermuda police K9 officer), extended it to over six. Really relaxing and helpful overview of the island.

 

In St. George's, Bermuda, we ate lunch in a funky little place called the CV Cafe. Really great! I think it's run by a boho expat woman from Canada. Very friendly service and delicious salads in a sprawling coffeehouse-like atmosphere. I recommend it highly.

 

The Explorer has the Coke Freestyle machines, which are a nice convenience for a Diet Coke addict like me.

 

Room service breakfast on our balcony is something we always enjoy. The service was timely every time.

 

The only minus I would cite was the quality and variety of the food in the Windjammer. I am not Mr. Haute Cuisine by any stretch, but a lot of the hot food (esp. the pasta) is awfully greasy and congealed-looking. Also, the sandwich fixings are essentially ham and cheese. Would turkey break the budget? A wider variety of vegetables would also be appropriate. I am pretty adaptable, but it was at the low end of mealtime enjoyment.

 

We are pretty strong RCI loyalists, but I have to say that I would consider a switch for fresher, healthier, more varied lunch options. RCI, please take note.

 

Dinner in the MDR, on the other hand, was quite tasty and fresh. Our waiters, Letisha and Jitesh, did a great job. Also, the head waiter was able to switch us from the late seating to the early seating without muss or fuss (we boarded quite early, though, and hotfooted it to see her.)

 

We sailed out of Bayonne. It's a pretty scruffy area and terminal, but the RCI staff in the terminal (mostly seniors, as in Florida) were very friendly. Not what New Jersey-bashers would lead you to expect.

 

The passengers had a pretty wide age dispersion, but there were far more people from the Tri-State area and far fewer college students than we've seen on other cruises.

 

On the whole, it was a wonderful trip with my wonderful wife. This is about our seventh RCI cruise, and we hope to be back many times more.

 

I welcome any questions.

 

Matt

Raleigh, NC

 

Are the eco learning areas still onboard and active? We haven't been on explorer before, but my daughter was interested in this and any research they still do at sea.

 

Thanks!

[Merion_Mom]

Unfortunately, the oceanographic and marine science stuff are long gone. :(

 

MattSaw, FABULOUS review. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.

 

I, too, have noted sadly the decline in the Windjammer, and lament the lack of healthy options.

 

As to the ham vs turkey situation, I fear that you will not like my opinion on the matter. I think that they order ham instead of turkey because of the much longer shelf life. (Yuck!). Turkey goes bad a lot faster because that ham is just CRAMMED with preservatives. :eek: