~~**My Explorer Experience**~~ 10-2 to 10-09 (LONG)

[BevMoney]

I went on this cruise as part of a training fam for home-based travel agents. There were approximately 60 of us. Our package included the normal cruise fare plus RCL and general cruise sales training on sea days and a overview of Sandals Bahamas. Itinerary was Eastern:

 

Pre-Cruise

 

I traveled to Miami the day before the cruise 10/01. I had made my tax reservations in advance for pickup at 8 am and my flight was at 9:20 am on USAir. That was a big mistake. Although it’s only a 20 minute ride from my house to the airport, the cabbie was late – 30 minutes late. On top of this; he seemed like he driving as slow as a turtle and the final cost of my ride was $18-up $6 bucks since Feb 05, due to gas prices:(. Boy do I miss Supershuttle! ($10 flat).

 

Anyway, due to the late cabbie, I arrived at the airport at 8:50, which meant that I was not there at least 45 min before takeoff. Therefore, the curb check in rep said he could le me get on the flight; however, he could not guarantee that my luggage would be on the same plane and that it would be my responsibility to pick it up from the airport.

 

Word to the wise regarding screening, this was my first time taking a laptop on a plane. I was not aware that it needs to go through the scanning machine – outside of its case or luggage. I had mine packed down the bottom of my back pack carryon on, which also housed my video and digital cameras – and it just wasted unnecessary time since I was already late for my flight. Nevertheless, I made the flight and it was smooth flight.

 

I can’t believe MIA airport!!! No offense to Fla residents but it looks kind of dull. I‘ve been on several cruises out of MIA but since I have family in Jax, Fl we usually drive to the port. I haven’t been in MIA in over 10 years but given that its this sophisticated, cosmopolitan city, I expected more. Oh well. I’ll never dump on PHL again.

 

When I arrived at MIA baggage claim, of course my bags had not made it. I made my way over to the baggage claim kiosk and provided official notice. There was a large contingent of Carnival cruisers in the office because their bags were also not on the flight but it wasn’t because they were late. They were very upset as their cruise was leaving today at 4 pm. The best the could offer is that if the luggage did not arrive on the next flight from PHL, they would deliver to the next port of call, which was apparently on a Tues. Since the rep was already scheduling luggage delivery, he offered to deliver my luggage to me at my hotel and I graciously accepted.

 

Again, cab fare outrageous when traveling alone. For about a 15 min ride from the airport to JW Marriott - $22 plus tip. I chose this hotel cause its close to port and received good reviews on this board. It’s a nice hotel, the hotel employees are very friendly. The lobby was very opulent and I was a bit embarrassed that I was traveling in jeans and tennis shoes. But everyone treated me courteously and made me feel very welcome. My room had a view overlooking the business districts city skyline with a view of the metromover. My bags were delivered around 5 pm.

 

The pre-cruise get together with some other agents fell through so I decided to just take a walk around the area. As some have said on this board, its nothing exciting too see. I walked a few blocks behind the hotel and looked at the bay-there were no boats there. I then made my way back up to Brickell ave to look for something to eat. I found this relatively inexpensive place called Pasha’s. It’s a Mediterranean eatery. I order a chicken wrap and Greek salad. It was very good. I spent about $11.

 

It was rainy so I could not enjoy the interesting steel rooftop pool, so I treated my self to a pedicure in the hotel spa for around $40. They do need to replace the pool lounge chairs. There were noticeably holes and snags in them and it just did not look appealing. For that reason alone, can’t put it up there with Park Hyatt. I would however, recommend JW as a precruise, especially for women traveling alone. I felt safe in the hotel and walking the immediate hotel area.

[BevMoney]

Cruise day!!

 

10-2. I surrendered my room key to the lobby desk and was ready to depart for the port around 10 am. Another lovely cab ride to port - $9 bucks.

 

When I arrived at the Explorer dock, I as quickly greeted for my bags. When I entered the terminal, there was a medium size crowd already gathered in. Check was not going to be allowed until 11am. I had preregistered online so with my SetSail pass in hand, I went to the designated area and received my Seapass in no time. Boarding began around 11:45 a.m. My assigned roommate was already in our room and boooy, the fam only offered inside cabins and it was hard getting use to an inside cabin again after you’ve gone balcony.

[BevMoney]

Seminar Info – (some old/some new news and reminders)

 

Here are a few notes from the Seminar. We were visited by the Chief pursor, Adventure Ocean manager and Group Director during our seminar sessions.

 

• Murder mystery parties will be available on all ships by year end. On our cruise, it was held in Portofinos one night and it was $49.95.

• Rock climbing will be on all ships by year end

• New ship shape programs on every ship (ie yoga, pilates, spinning, etc)

For a nominal fee, usually $10. I signed up for pilates. C&A members get a coupon for complimentary class if one is purchased.

• First time cruiser club – will be similar set up to the welcome back C&A party

• Karoake Idol – they did not elaborate but I guess we can imagine

• Singles program will be revamped. No details given

• Revamped Senior and Resident rates program. Apparently, due to abuse by some TAs, they are getting strict and will not be boarding people who obviously do not qualify for the rates. Guests will be required to supply documentation.

• New activities/workshops – such as photography, musical instruments, dancing, clowning, to name a few.

 

Questions that came up during the Q&A session

• Kids – Chief Purser said that while RCL sets a curfew but it’s the PARENTs responsibility to enforce it. They have and will continue to escort off families that violate the conduct rules.

• 18-21 – Since this is their smallest demo, other than the new revampled singles/mingle, there is nothing else planned for this group. They alredy have the beer/wine package and can enjoy the casino and the sports and pool activities

• AdventureOcean. Absolutely no exceptions for potty training policy for pool usage for kids. Note: I did observe on 2 occassions where parents had apparently brought on board their own splash pools and placed them on the pook deck for their babies and the AO staff filled the pool for them with a water hose. Adults are responsible for kids and swimming.

• Price protect – still in effect. RCL does not monitor nor notify for rate decreases. Will honor them when notified.

• Voyager Class on the West Coast – Not happening

 

 

Points of interest

 

• RCL rep pointed out advantages of RCL Cruisetours for Europe/Alaska

- Fully escorted at no extra charge

- Luggage remains with guests throughout tour

- 4 & 5 star hotels that are convenient to transportation

- Good for novice and veteran travelers

- Strongly suggested that air be booked through RCL when in Europe

 

• Special diet requests, with at least 30 days advance notice, they will try to accommodate requests such as if a guest has a wheat allergy, they will make special breads.

• Royal Reunions – group amenities such as group photos, scavenger hunt, trivia challenges for just your group. 2 programs, $50 & $100

• Valet Luggage – in test phase on Sovereign with Delta and American. Can pre-check luggage on ship to final destination. They say the pilot is going well.

• Weddings – $400 to book bare package. Includes ceremony, certificate, caked 1 bottle champagne and photographer for 1 hr. Onboard weddings or Destination (Island) weddings can be arranged. Basic (very basic) onboard wedding with light buffet and open bar is $45 per head.

• Large family gatherings. Can ask to book lounges for your exclusive gatherings for legitimate groups. No guarantee. TA must register through RCL Group Coordinator. There’s no extra charge for using the space but there is for food and alcohol

• For private cocktail parties: open bar & peanuts $10 pp, hot & cold canapés & open bar, $16 pp

• Gift bag deliveries. If you make your own goodie bags, you can have your TA contact the ships Group Coordinator to set up. Goodie bags can be shipped to RCL up to 1 week before sailing. There is a $1 per stateroom delivery charge. If goody bags are brought on board, you can take them to guest relations and they will deliver during turn down.

[BevMoney]

My Observations through cruiseweek

 

• We traveled right after dry dock. Most areas were ready and pretty clean. They replaced the pool deck carpeting. However, on our deck, deck 8, there was a mildew smell in the hallways till about Wed. Thankfully, it did not extend to our cabins. All jets were not working in some of the whirlpools. Just things to be mindful of when booking after a drydock.

• Our cabin intercom was not consistent. I did not hear half the announcements, mostly when the captain was speaking. YIKES!

• Food

 

-Windjammer. Pretty much the same basic food fare. There was actually more variety near the end of the week. Not sure about the pancakes or the burgers though. They need some work. One disappointment for me was that for breakfast, they no longer offer cranberry juice. Only OJ and too sweet apple juice. However, the made to order omelets are as good as ever. I did not however, see any hand sanitizers in sight.

-Johnny Rockets – very good. I finally got a good burger. Fries and onion rings were delicious. Service was good and prompt. The employees during the dancing however were just going through the motions. No enthusiasm what so ever. Why bother.

-Dining Room. Service was good. We enjoyed getting to know our waiter and asst

waiter. Unfortunately, our waiter was kind of distracted during the mid of the week

because he had family in the area of the Pakistan/India earthquake. I hope he

received good news. Unfortunately, while the service was good, me and my tablemates were disappointed in the selection. There just wasn’t much there each night. I definitely don’t like the cut backs in this area. The deserts also do not seem as spectacular as they use to be. Nothing said wow, Im gonna be bad tonight. I ordered strawberry ice cream most nights.

Café Promenade. Was good for snacks. I enjoyed the oatmeal cookies and sandwiches.

Room Service. I ordered only one day. Again, cut back disappointment. On my VOS in 03, I loved ordering Belgian waffles and fruit to eat on my balcony. Not only was there no balc this time, the room service menu was pretty much scrambled eggs or omelet, pastries, fruit tray or cereal. Blah.

I’m not a coffee drinker so I can’t say how that was.

Midnight buffets. They were both ok, nothing spectacular. I guess I enjoyed the deck party more. The Gala buffet took way to long to get into. I also don’t know why people keep their small children up that time of night to eat.

• Spa/Gym – I spent most of my time here when not in seminar or port. On the first day, we got a very thorough tour of the spa and demonstration of services and specials. One suprising new service is “teeth whitening” for $245. I think they’ve done a good job expanding the service menu. I did not get a fancy treatment but instead opted for the Metabolism check and consultation for $33, which provided me with some very good information. However, I declined the $275 product line thought.

• Pool. Chair hogs. Didn’t really see them. They were hiding. The ship was full to capacity. I mostly saw fannies in the chairs or empty chairs. Maybe it’s a seasonal thing.

• Solarium. I was in there almost every day. I am happy to report that I saw no little people in the whirlpools. Again, it must be seasonal. I as a little surprised that Explorer does not have the canopy. It rained the beginning half of the cruise so the solarium was a bit breezy these days. The lounge chairs were soaked one day because the windows were left open.

• Casino- I didn’t do any gambling this trip. No one won anything big but they sure push bingo a lot.

• Music/Dancing – Well, I as on a Caribbean cruise; but you could hardly tell sometimes. I hardly heard any steel band music. It’s the first cruise I’ve been on where “Hot,Hot,Hot or Deck Party” was not burned into my brain. There was music at the deck party but none of the old favorites, I could hardly figure out what they were singing about. There was some music in the promenade that encouraged people to get up and dance one day but it just was not done enough. Also, one of my table mates, an older couple left dinner early to go ballroom dancing one night. Well to their amazement, they went dancing to a CD; they thought they were going to get a live band. Now come on. You can dance to CW, hip hop and pop on CD but not ballroom dancing. But then they had live music during the Gala midnight buffet, huh? I didn’t go to the disco, Chamber too much, just visited for a minute during the 70s dance party.

• Shows/Entertainment. Only went to the following

Love & Marriage - OK

RC Singers and Dancers – OK

Quest – Funny as heck. I thought those guys were going to kill the Cruise Director at one point. The people who cheated with prestored stuff were a disgrace. Its no fun when they do that.

Ice-skating – FANTASTIC! I enjoyed it more that the one I saw on VOS and the was pretty good. But the choreography and costumes were well done.

• Photos – ok, I was strong! I only bought one!!! Formal night. I also noticed that during embarkation, when you board the picture guy is off to the side, where people can decide whether they want an onboarding pic or not. Good improvement there. I purchased the cruise review for my VOS cruise for $24.95. I did not think it was worth it. They are now selling cruise review DVDs for $29.95

• Immigration/Homeland Security. This was new for me as my VOS cruise was western itinerary in 03. Apparently, because we left St Maarten and then docked in St Thomas the next day, the entire ship had to go through a homeland security check between 7am and 9am the next morning-even if you were not leaving the ship to go to port that day. They asked for Seapass and citizenship identification. Homeland security officials were very cordial and the lines moved promptly. Failure to comply with this requirements lends a heft fine of $3300.

• Ports – I did not go on any organized excursions, just pretty much went out souvenir shopping so I wont bore you with those details. However, I would like to say something about 2 of the ports I visited

1. I have not visited San Juan in 14 years. Why does old San Juan still look better and more together than new San Juan.

2. Why is St Thomas still sooo rude. I had the worse experience here. All other ports were full of friendly people. Not only were the taxi drivers rude, the prices were outrageous. Unfortunately, the ferry to St John, where I love to go, was not running from downtown today and It was too late to try and get one from Red hook. So, I settled for visiting Magens Bay. Wrong move.:( Its too nasty of a story to tell in the already long review. All I can say is that we can do better USA!

• Skooters. Oh boy. I don’t want to offend but users may want to practice going around objects and learing how to stop and park before going aboard. I saw a couple of near incidents that could have been nasty.

 

Overall cruise experience. B-:) Well, I had a great time and learned a lot. There were some service issues I was disappointed in but that’s just because I’m an old school cruiser. I don’t know if Explorer delivered the wow factor the way VOS did for me in 03 though. However, I can’t wait to set sail for Freedom next October.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Thanks Bev. Did they say why they decided not to move the Navigator to the West Coast? Last I heard this was a done deal.

 

###

[BevMoney]

Phoenix, I asked this particular question and the RCL rep/trainer basically chalked it up to size. A few people threw out some ideas but her basic message was that she doesn't see it happening. She's the main source for many large east coast TAs so I'm assuming she's got the inside skinny on any thing that would be coming up.

[PTarbay]

Thank you for the informative and straight forward review.

[PelicanBill]

Great review! I just got off Voyager, it was interesting to see the comparisons. We had exactly the same experience on food overall... not a great selection or memorable meals.

[cstooge462]

Thank you so much for the review, it was great

[BevMoney]

your're welcome