Explorer of the seas/ rebooking

[Scooter girl 58]

Hi,

 

I am also booked on the explorer (26th July). I am hoping we have just heard from people who love to complain. Here is what I could have written after last years Indy cruise 1st one is the real one!!!!

Check in was very swift. Cabin was very clean and much bigger than on many other ships. Food overall was very good, sometime service was a bit slow but it didn't bother us as we were enjoying chatting to our table companions. Entertainment was good overall. Loved the ice shows and the street parties.

I use a mobility scooter and had trouble with it not charging. The ships engineers found it was a problem with the lead and gave me a new one, they lent me a wheelchair while the found the problem. Even though it was the school summer holidays and there where over 1000 children onboard they were well behaved when you did see them (mostly in kids club) It was lovely to see the kids all dressed up on formal night. I need to use the lifts but never had to wait for one except after muster and after the shows but this was only to be expected. Weather was hot and sunny every day. Ports of call were excellent.

 

We were late boarding and could not even get a drink as everything had shut for muster drill. When we got to our cabin only one case was there we had to wait another 30mins for the other, we found the cabin a bit dated and didn't like the colours. My mobility scooter would not charge in the cabin and I was forced to use a wheelchair for a day. I have never seen so many children on a cruise, they even appeared on formal night. I must complain about the food, they no longer had my favorite yoghurt and the grapes had pips in them. We had long waits between courses in the MDR. When we had room service breakfast, it always arrive 15mins early and woke us up 5 mins before we had set an alarm call. We could not always get a sun lounger. The street parties were very noisey and it was very cold watching the ice show. The weather was too hot in the ports of call. Had long waits for the lifts. I could go on the list is endless.

See what I mean

[cruise wizard]

I'm also booked on Explorer on 3rd June and admit to being a little worried about the universally bad reviews both on here and on Cruise.co.uk. The cruise is our first and a double celebration, our honeymoon and my birthday, so i'd hate not to enjoy it. It appears the dry dock definitely caused issues but hopefully as there's a few more sailing between now and then they'll all be sorted. One of the review referred to lack of seating but mentioned that more was being loaded at the last stop so hopefully that will also be dealt with.

 

 

You're all right a holiday is what you make it and i'm really excited about the stops and unlike the first cruise always a full day at each except Gibraltar. Nice to see a few posters also on this sailing. Looking forward to meeting you all!

 

An early congratulations on celebrating both a birthday and honeymoon!!!! I hope that you will enjoy cruising as much as we do - we always meet some of the nicest people and can always find something to do besides eating!!!

 

There is a thread about this particular sailing - below is the link to it - join in the conversations and make some new friends before the cruise.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2020327

 

 

There is a Meet & Mingle party - all you have to do is register - here's the link:

 

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/ccEntry.do

 

Hope to see you on board and having a wonderful cruise!!!!

[cruise wizard]

Im on the May 23rd 3 nighter and have to admit to being concerned by these reviews.

 

I've sailed many times before and avidly read the reviews, but I don't think I have ever seen 4 consecutively so poor.

 

Yes, a couple of the comments were daft, like the numbers on board and the time in ports. But the food, unfinished bits and crap entertainment seem consistent, even from some reviewers who have clearly sailed a few times before.

 

I have never taken a cruise on a new ship, nor one right after a dry dock.

 

Asking those more experienced than me..... Do you think Royal will wake up to these complaints and put things right or is the Explorer doomed this summer?

 

Royal Caribbean reads CC boards all the time (Miami office people and ships officers) and they especially read the comments on the post cruise surveys. I have seen on my last 5 or so cruises that a mid-cruise survey was in our cabin. We didn't have any issues but one person that I talked to in one of the lounges remarked that they filled out the survey with a minor problem and it was addressed the following day by a ships officer.

 

Most issues can be resolved while on board if handled in a civil manner. Yelling, demanding and becoming outright obnoxious doesn't help any situation. Addressing any problem when it occurs is the best policy - not complaining days or weeks after the fact. If one doesn't get any satisfaction - take the issue to the next level up the chain of command.

 

Explorer isn't doomed -

[arendale1]

We are sailing on Explorer on 23rd May, so not long now.

We are a family of 5 with a special needs teen (autism) and it is our first ever cruise. I will admit that the reviews have made me worry, although I know that people are more likely to post about the negatives, rather than when everything goes well.

I really hope this holiday is all we've been hoping for, our children are so excited, I just worry that we are going to be let down.

[breeze123]

Yes, a couple of the comments were daft, like the numbers on board and the time in ports. But the food, unfinished bits and crap entertainment seem consistent, even from some reviewers who have clearly sailed a few times before.

 

 

Keep in mind that food and entertainment are subjective. One reviewer could think they were great, and a cruiser on the same ship could think both are terrible.

[jo anne]

I just hope that RCCL sees the reviews also. I'm booked on the June 3 cruise out of Southampton. I am cringing at the reviews that I'm reading for the refurbished Explorer. Anyone have anything positive to say about the Ship??

 

im booked on your cruise i dont think there will be a problem probably just the dry dock work not quite finished we will be fine :D:D:D

[Kirsty_Cruise]

I was on the Explorers first cruise after dry dock and i have just read the reviews myself..

Yes okay some of the comments were accurate.. 90% of the shows were god awful and cringe worthy, the first night service was AWFUL and ruined my mum and step dads wedding day, the boat was way too busy.. but did we let it ruin our cruise? No, we still had a lovely holiday.

I have contacted rc about my issues and we will see how they deal with it. But please don't move your cruise which i am sure will cost you. There were over 3000 passengers on that boat and there was what 6 reviews?

 

I will be doing my review probably tonight so wait and read that before you make any decisions :)

[Missus Makkem]

We have friends who are just finishing a back to back on the Explorer and they said ...the first one was not so good but this last one was terrific, they had addressed all the problems they could and it had really improved tremendously.

They felt that one of the reasons was the crew/staff were not used to dealing with all things Euopean but they were this time so much better and so cheerful and helpful.

I for one am so glad as we leave on Explorer this Friday and we are really looking forward to it.

[Kirsty_Cruise]

We have friends who are just finishing a back to back on the Explorer and they said ...the first one was not so good but this last one was terrific, they had addressed all the problems they could and it had really improved tremendously.

They felt that one of the reasons was the crew/staff were not used to dealing with all things Euopean but they were this time so much better and so cheerful and helpful.

I for one am so glad as we leave on Explorer this Friday and we are really looking forward to it.

 

thats great news :)

[fred30]

I have noticed in the past that in the review section you are referring to there have been a lot of negative reviews about the Explorer. Yet in the Royal Caribbean forum most of the reviews and comments of the EOS are very positive with most people loving the ship. I have read over and over that the crew on the EOS is the best in the fleet. Most of the negative comments in the forums were about it needing updating and a few about plumbing odors which has happened on other ships as well.

 

We have been on the EOS 3 times over the past several years and would highly recommend the ship. I can't imagine if there were issues on one or two of the last cruises that they wouldn't be corrected.

[moshek]

Hello all, just wondering is anyone else thinking about rebooking on another cruise having seen the reviews on EOS today (shocking):eek:

 

I think it is certainly a staffing issue with many of the problems. Just out of interest I have browsed some of the early Anthem reviews (including the 3 nighter I was on) and I have to state that the problems/complaints about bar/restaurant service on Anthem I agree with. Hoping staff will soon get the hang of things or UK cruising season could be interesting for RC.

[kborth]

We have switched to Celebrity for the last 2 cruises but now I really miss Royal entertainment and pax, wanted to take the cruise on Explorer next year to Alaska and am a bit worried about reviews here. Wish they had not moved Jewel as we wanted to take the California coastal cruise, oh well, have sailed on Radiance class 4 times and absolutely love these ships.

[Okborednow]

An early congratulations on celebrating both a birthday and honeymoon!!!! I hope that you will enjoy cruising as much as we do - we always meet some of the nicest people and can always find something to do besides eating!!!

 

There is a thread about this particular sailing - below is the link to it - join in the conversations and make some new friends before the cruise.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2020327

 

 

There is a Meet & Mingle party - all you have to do is register - here's the link:

 

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/ccEntry.do

 

 

Hope to see you on board and having a wonderful cruise!!!!

 

Thanks :) The other postings seem to suggest that i'm worrying about nothing so i'll go back to being really excited. I'm going to head over to the roll call now and say hi

[denatravels]

Hi,

 

 

 

I am also booked on the explorer (26th July). I am hoping we have just heard from people who love to complain. Here is what I could have written after last years Indy cruise 1st one is the real one!!!!

 

Check in was very swift. Cabin was very clean and much bigger than on many other ships. Food overall was very good, sometime service was a bit slow but it didn't bother us as we were enjoying chatting to our table companions. Entertainment was good overall. Loved the ice shows and the street parties.

 

I use a mobility scooter and had trouble with it not charging. The ships engineers found it was a problem with the lead and gave me a new one, they lent me a wheelchair while the found the problem. Even though it was the school summer holidays and there where over 1000 children onboard they were well behaved when you did see them (mostly in kids club) It was lovely to see the kids all dressed up on formal night. I need to use the lifts but never had to wait for one except after muster and after the shows but this was only to be expected. Weather was hot and sunny every day. Ports of call were excellent.

 

 

 

We were late boarding and could not even get a drink as everything had shut for muster drill. When we got to our cabin only one case was there we had to wait another 30mins for the other, we found the cabin a bit dated and didn't like the colours. My mobility scooter would not charge in the cabin and I was forced to use a wheelchair for a day. I have never seen so many children on a cruise, they even appeared on formal night. I must complain about the food, they no longer had my favorite yoghurt and the grapes had pips in them. We had long waits between courses in the MDR. When we had room service breakfast, it always arrive 15mins early and woke us up 5 mins before we had set an alarm call. We could not always get a sun lounger. The street parties were very noisey and it was very cold watching the ice show. The weather was too hot in the ports of call. Had long waits for the lifts. I could go on the list is endless.

 

See what I mean

 

 

That was awesome!!! They need a "like" button here.

 

I've been looking for a southern Caribbean cruise from the Northeast. One of the ports I'm most interested in is San Juan, as I've never been there. One of my few options from home without flying docks in San Juan from 7am-1pm. Rather than booking it and then complaining about how there wasn't enough time in the ports, I'm looking at other options. I understand complaints about dirty pools and wires everywhere and see why waiting after drydock would be a good idea, many of these reviews are ridiculous!! I do take reviews into account ONLY if they are valid, and many of these issues could have been avoided.

[madmedic]

Thanks for all the feedback, unfortunately matters may have been taken out of our hands. We may not be able to travel in august due to serious illness of a family member (puts things in to perspective) :(

Any advice on our £600 deposit would be greatly appreciated.

[Missus Makkem]

RCI might transfer it to another cruise otherwise you will have to claim on your insurance.

[Kirsty_Cruise]

Very sorry to hear that :(

 

This is taken from the RCI website...

 

If you or anybody travelling with you wishes to cancel either your/their holiday, you must contact us (if booking direct) or your travel agent and give notice in writing using registered mail or e-mail to ensure safe receipt of the cancellation letter. The holiday will only be cancelled on the date we receive the written notice of cancellation. Generally if you cancel you will have to pay the cancellation charges set out below:

 

5 days or less 100%

6 to 14 days 90%

15 - 28 days 75%

29 - 56 days 50%

57 days or more Deposit only (£150 per person)

 

Please be advised that the minimum cancellation charge will always be the loss of deposit. Please note: that any amendment or transfer fees will also be charged when a booking is cancelled. These fees are detailed in section 1.11 of our Booking Conditions. Please refer to section 1.11 when making a significant amendment, within 56 days of your departure date as your booking may be treated as a cancellation and cancellation charges will apply. Therefore a new booking will be created incorporating any new business rules or terms and conditions applicable. Please note: The date of departure means the date the arrangements you have booked with us commence.

 

Depending on the reason for cancellation, you may be able to reclaim these cancellation charges (less any applicable excess) under the terms of your insurance policy. Claims must be made directly to your insurance company. Where any cancellation reduces the number of full paying party members below the number on which the price, number of free places and/or any concessions agreed for your booking were based, we will recalculate these items and re-invoice you at the applicable higher price.

Edited May 13, 2015 by icklepickle

[YoungGuns]

We have friends who are just finishing a back to back on the Explorer and they said ...the first one was not so good but this last one was terrific, they had addressed all the problems they could and it had really improved tremendously.

They felt that one of the reasons was the crew/staff were not used to dealing with all things Euopean but they were this time so much better and so cheerful and helpful.

I for one am so glad as we leave on Explorer this Friday and we are really looking forward to it.

 

 

Have a great time, we are on 3rd June cruise!!

 

 

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[Missus Makkem]

Have a great time, we are on 3rd June cruise!!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

I cannot believe how we keep missing our Cruise buddies this year

I think our lovely Irish friends will be on this one, missing them too but will let you know how things are when we return.

[cruiselife4me]

I for one take those reviews with a pinch of salt. When you think there would've been over 3000 passengers on board to read 3 or 4 bad reviews will not put me off. Don't get me wrong, I have never cruised before and I have spent over 5k for a cruise on explorer in august. We will make the holiday the best we can and are looking forward to visiting a lot of new countries. As long as we can eat, drink and be merry, (and my wife can sunbathe) we'll be happy. Oh yeah, and the ship doesn't sink..;)

 

AGREED! She's a lovely ship. We are saiing

on Adventure and the reviews are hit and miss. I'm sure we'll love it! Enjoy yours too!

 

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[shazzygirl67]

I have never read a good review of a first cruise after a refit. We went on Voyagers 2nd cruise after refit & it wasn't perfect, but by all accounts it was way better than the first. Never put much value in reviews after refits. Give them a few cruises first to iron out the issues.

[Knysna]

We are cruising on the 9th of August and really looking forward to the holiday. So we can only hope that everything is all sorted by then.

Does anyone know if they added a 3D cinema during the refurbishment?

Thanks Warwick

 

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[YoungGuns]

I cannot believe how we keep missing our Cruise buddies this year

I think our lovely Irish friends will be on this one, missing them too but will let you know how things are when we return.

 

 

Thank you! You could always do a B2B2B!!

 

I'm sure the ship will be lovely:)

 

 

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[madmedic]

RCI might transfer it to another cruise otherwise you will have to claim on your insurance.

 

Thanks, seems like its worth trying to transfer the booking to a later cruise if thats possible.

[miketingle]

Got off explorer this morning, overall the cruise was good but the reviews where they say there were no seats on sea days and bad weather days are spot on, They have seemed to cram everything on this ship and this has made public spaces very tight indeed.

My concern was with the doors onto deck 11&12 they just do not function properly they do not open on the automatic sensor and the push button openers are mostly all damaged. I and many other passengers had to physically slide the doors open with our hands but this is no good for the infirm or elderly.

Does seem like they have put Lipstick on a pig hopefully they will fix these problems in time.

We did have a look at booking for next year but they are just far to expensive at the moment we paid about £2100 for this cruise the one we looked at for next year on the independence was £3600 for the same cabin type, free gratuities and drinks package so that is basically £1500 for three nights:eek:. And this included 50% discount for the second person but they would've given us $98 on board credit this time round whoopeee.