Updated Explorer Review Wanted!

[jabraun]

Anyone Off The Explorer Lately? Would Love To Hear The Lastest. Sailing On Her 3/26:) Western. Thanks

[SuzieTrue]

Sailing On Her 3/26:) Western.

 

Counting down the days as well!:D

[World Traveler 81]

We just returned from Explorer on Sunday. I don't want to dampen your spirits, so I won't go into detail about our disappointments, but I will say that the Cruise Director Clodaugh O'Connor is good. She has a great sense of humor without going over the top. Make sure to attend the Love & Marriage gameshow!

[PeterPan]

SNIP>

I don't want to dampen your spirits, so I won't go into detail about our disappointments, but I will say that the Cruise Director Clodaugh O'Connor is good.[/quote]<SNIP

 

I, for one, am interested in hearing what you have to say. I'll be the judge of what will dampen my spirits, and would prefer to have realistic expectations.

[royal4life]

ditto

[jabraun]

I Would Rather You Tell Us Now . So We Can Prepare Ourselves.

I Really Would Love To Hear Your Comments.. I HEARD FROM ANOTHER THREAD THAT THE CAPTAIN WAS NOT PERSONABLE WITH THE PASSENGERS. AND THE SHIP WAS SHOWING WEAR AND TEAR. ANY COMMENTS...... THANKS

[PeterPan]

There is a "hint" from the OP in the roll call thread. Apparently, wasn't impressed with service. Sure hope they return and fill in some details.

[jabraun]

bump

[tribefan]

We were on the March 5-12 sailing and had a blast! Will just give a short overall view, since I just had shoulder surgery this morning and it is hard for me to type! As for the ship, sure you could see some wear and tear, but nothing that was going to make me say it looked bad. I did see them replacing carpet in some areas twice during the week. Our cabin was neat and clean when we got on, and our steward informed us he was not on the ship the week prior, so we didn't have to worry about him having the virus that was reported. Food, it was great, I'm not one who cares for fancy 5 star dinning and we were always pleased with our dinners. We did go to Portifino's for dinner thanks to Cruise Critics meet and mingle (we won the drawing for 2 dinners). It was very good, but, would I pay for it, not really since it was way to gourmet for me. My DH and I both had the filet and it was the best we have ever had anywhere:D The shows they had EXCELLENT! We missed a couple, but did go and see Mosaic. They really impressed us. Then the best was the Nelso Brothers, Ricky Nelson's twin sons. They put on the best show of the week. After the show, they came out and you could have your pictures taken with them and chat. Two of the nicest performers you could meet. My SIL made a comment on how she just loved their dad and that she was sure they got tired of hearing that, Matthew said they never could hear it enough. On saturday night they did a show in the promenade and we were able to get front row seat. It was GREAT again! After that show, they signed the pictures people had taken with them the night before and chatted. My DD who is 30 even had them sign her "twins" if you know what I mean! We were laughing on how the twins signed the twins:D .

 

The only dissapoint that I could say is one person in our group did come down with the virus. It was on the day we were in San Juan and he and his wife were unable to leave the cabin for 24 hours. She did not come donw with it but was a bit sea sick by the end of the cruise. The ship was really rocking due to winds and waves. Nothing anyone could do about that. On friday, our sea day, the pools were so bad that they did not open them for quite awhile. Once they did, who need the surfing pool on the Freedom, we had our own!

 

Overall, one of the best cruises we have been on and I would go back in a heart beat! I will do a full review hopefully by the weekend, when I'm feeling better and can type!:D

[emeraldcity]

Thanks for the review Tribefan. Nice to hear the Nelson Brothers continue to entertain on cruises. We had the privilege of seeing them four years ago on the Voyager and I also felt they were a high point for the week's entertainment. Wonderfully personable. I bought the CD after the show and they autographed it.

 

Sorry you are incapacitated. Hope you heal quickly.

[karcruiser]

Tribefan, I know you must be in some discomfort so I wanted to pass along my thanks for your review. I am sailing the Explore on April 2nd and really appreciate you taking the time to update everyone!

[1stcruiser1]

I was also on last week, our 1st cruise and we totally loved it. our room was very nice ,not looking worn at all .the balcony was excellent we will always have one. the food was very tasty only thing that was soso was a pork chop dinner but still good. We went to all the shows except one. It was fun having dinner then a show. Our waiter was exceptional. Nothing is perfect but our experience on the ship was sure close to it. I can't see how anyone wouldn't have a good time.

[lovn2liv]

Hi folks,

 

I'm not responding from my own experience with a recent trip on the Explorer but from an office mates. They just got back on the 12th of March, and he mentioned that there was a very large number (he said 400, but I'm not sure how that was confirmed) of people that had the "gastro" issues of the worst kind.

 

Again, this is from him. They were delayed boarding the ship due to supposed carpet replacements and ship being washed down. He mentioned that at one point he saw some crew members dressed in full hazmat gear. It certainly scared me. The last thing I want to worry about is a germ taking over me on my vacation. A couple they cruised with were quarantined as well.

 

His wife was ill almost all week. In fact she had to stay out on Monday because she still wasn't over it completely. Saw her today, and she looks like she dropped a whole pant size. (Now, that would be nice..) Actually just kidding. I would not want to sacrifice that kind of illness on a vaca to lose some pounds.

 

A fellow work member went the week before, and he had a great time and didn't mention anyone being sick.

 

So who knows. I'm going on the Crown Princess in July, and am hoping like crazy since it is so new, maiden voyage being in June, that this germ will not make it on this ship.

 

Just wash your hands constantly, and drink the hard stuff...that's at least what my grandmother would suggest. She believed the hard stuff cured everything.

 

Good luck.

 

Hand washing dispensers were out everywhere, and you were served in the buffet line by crew.

[Monthend]

If there was 400 new cases wouldn't it be on the CDC website along with the first report?

[suzeyQ]

We were on the Explorer from March 5-12 and absolutely loved it! I've typed up a full review but it's saved on my computer and I'm at work now. I'll come back tonight and post it for you. In short, we had a great time and thought the ship was beautiful and the food and service were fantastic.

[breenw]

The Explorer is a nice ship so I'm sure you will have a good time. Just do like the OP suggested and make sure to wash your hands before entering the dining rooms and such. Most of the dining rooms and buffets have the dispensers outside the doors with the hand-gel. We were on a cruise a couple of years with many folks sick with the Norwalk virus. I felt bad for those who were quarantined! It has more to do with the time of year that you sail - not any particular ship or cruise line.

 

We were on the Explorer a few years ago and had a horrible experience but I think it was just a combination of "circumstances" as opposed to anything wrong with the ship. Our personal experience that trip was so bad that RCCL gave us an $800 credit towards a future cruise. Even though that particular trip was a disaster, I would sail the Explorer again.

[joejennie]

This was our first cruise and I should writie some sort of review up for it as well. But in short, we enjoyed every bit of the time we had on it and will definately go again. When, not sure yet. We tried to go to most of the shows and regretted the ones that we missed. We saw the Nelson Brothers also and loved them! We were in the third row and I got a picture afterward. I played a few games of bingo and won $138 with a friend, Dee and Dan, winning the next for a larger amount. Being our first time on a cruise, there were so many things that we would have liked to do while in port but not enough time lol. You know what that means.... another cruise ;) The adult scavenger hunt was hilarious. I was a team leader and had a blast. Hubby said it was fun watching me act like a fool lol But he was entertained by the antics :D

 

The food was great! It was 5 star and we don't usually eat that kind of food... we're just plain ole laid back people... but all that we had was fantastic. Although, hubby didn't care for the pate.

 

One thing that I meant to do was to keep a journal. I had one ready to bring and it was waiting back on our sofa when we arrived home. Oops! Next time definately.

Jennie

[LaTortuga]

I was on the Explorer the week of Feb 26 - March 5 (the first week the virus broke out). In my review, I wrote that our cabin was showing a lot of wear and tear...I in no way meant that the ship itself is showing wear and tear. I actually think it's in really good shape! Each cabin's condition is determined by the people who stayed in it before you and I would say that our cabin was not treated with proper respect. The buttons on the remote and the safe for chipped off and the desk and tv stand were shredded on the edges.

You will love the Explorer...enjoy your cruise!

[jabraun]

keep the reviews coming!! love to read them..

[World Traveler 81]

I Would Rather You Tell Us Now . So We Can Prepare Ourselves.

I Really Would Love To Hear Your Comments.. I HEARD FROM ANOTHER THREAD THAT THE CAPTAIN WAS NOT PERSONABLE WITH THE PASSENGERS. AND THE SHIP WAS SHOWING WEAR AND TEAR. ANY COMMENTS...... THANKS

 

The good stuff - Our waiter Georgi (from Bulgaria) and his assistant Andrea (from Jamaica) were great. Very personable, very attentive and all around nice people. The ports were great. I enjoy St. Maarten more and more every time that we go.

 

The disappointing things:

 

*Docked at the Pan American pier in San Juan. It's quite a ride to/from the city. We took a taxi in town to buy duty free cigarettes. We couldn't find them anywhere. Turns out there was a duty free shop at the pier, however it was at the entrance to the pier (when you return) instead of at the exit. Not RCCL's fault, but it would have been nice if the worthless shopping guide had given us some information on that instead of continuously plugging Diamonds International. VERY little information was given on San Juan.

 

*The service in Windjammer was non-existant. We visited daily for breakfast and lunch and not once did we encounter staff circulating with drinks or offering refills on coffee, juice or tea. If you wanted it, you had to get it yourself. This was different from EVERY cruise we have taken previously. The staff who were in Windjammer were basically bussing tables and had a poor attitude. Most likely overworked because of the enhanced sanitation procedures.

 

*The Windjammer/Island Grill has a total of four buffet lines. On a port day in St. Maarten, they only had ONE of the lines open. This caused a line of about 100 people which extended out the doors of Windjammer and into the halls of Deck 11.

 

*When we were waiting to board for 3.5 hours before leaving Miami, they put the first 300-400 of us in a seperate waiting area from the general terminal. No snacks, no water, no staff giving us updates on what was going on. As a Diamond member, I was entitled to use the Chairmans Lounge but was informed that it was closed that day.

 

*Although in my opinion the ship did not show many visible signs of wear, I was disgusted by the yellow stains on our matress pad. I asked that it be replaced and it never was.

 

*We were invited to attend a private meeting with the Guest Relations Manager and share our concerns with the service onboard. She was apologetic but didn't really offer any solutions or explanations to the situation. Two days later we received a voicemail from her thanking us for taking the time to meet with her and advising us that the complimentary robes that she sent to our cabin should be taken home for us to enjoy with her compliments. What robes? We didn't receive any. I contacted the cabin steward and she said that she delivered them to the wrong room. In fact, she sent them to a room which had only 1 occupant. She would contact her boss and get different ones to us first thing in the morning. Two days went by and after asking 3 more times, we still didn't have them. It wasn't until I suggested that I speak with her boss directly that they suddenly appeared. This simple goodwill gesture turned out to be more work than it was worth. I should also mention that we didn't receive our Crown & Anchor welcome back gift until day 6, which was 2 days later than the rest of the ship. We had to personally ask for it.

 

*And to answer your question, this Captain was the LEAST personable of any I have ever met.

 

I recognize that these many seem like pety issues to many of you, but I have come to expect more of Royal Caribbean. This is my 12th cruise overall and by far my least favorite. This was our 4th time seeing the Nelson Brothers and I can basically recite the dining room menu daily from memory. I think I'm just a little burned out on them and need to give Holland America or Princess a try.

 

I'm sure that these items which were disappointments for me would be invisible to most first time cruisers and I have no doubt that others will have a good time on this ship.

[mvan]

got home 3/12/05 off explorer,first time cruise for me we had seven in our party half were first time cruisers, first, did not here of anybody getting sick other than sea sick until reading this post,so virus was not bad to my knowledge. the haz mat ordeal if the same one was someone got sea sick in the palace the day of rough seas, he was cleaning it up, i also said same thing when he came in looking like that, but it was for everyones saftey. windjammer service was not good, but because of sickness on previous cruise they were serving all the food, so they could have been short help? food was good no matter where we ate, shows were good,also have to agree about love marriage game, it was great, a couple in our group played the game abd got all answers right,no they were not the phony newly weds. service, our room attendent was absolutly great we were on deck 6. our waiter peterson was also very good got to know him so well we exchanged info and when ship comes to n.y. in may we are going to try to hook up. cruise director was also very good. even won 250 dollars at bingo all in all ship was nice service was good and food was good would go on eos again

[PeterPan]

U256601,

 

Thanks for the update. I'm sorry to hear you were dissappointed by some things, but it had to better than a week at work :) .

 

Perhaps it was the increased levels of work for the staff that contributed to the changes in service you experienced. But, that doesn't change how you feel. We are looking forward to our cruise, and will enjoy it. I have no real expectations, or any way to measure it since this will be our first. I do appreciate reading what others with experience have to say.

 

I do think it would be unwise to rate an entire cruise line based on one cruise. It does seem you have enjoyed your past cruises. Take the good, and leave the bad behind.

 

Again, thanks for your comments.

[new2cruising2006]

I was on the Explorer 2/19-2/26 (the week before the virus) and had a blast. It was my first cruise and I will definately go again. I am the type of person who loves to be on the go and the ship definately kept me busy. There was so much to do. I especially liked ice show, love and marriage show, Quest and the other production shows. We also spent a lot of time in Maharajah's. There was a lot to do. The pool area was great and we never really had a hard time finding a seat (maybe we weren't right next to the pool but we were definately in the sun. The solariam is great- the hot tubs are a must. The food was good too. Definately eat snacks in the Promenade. My only issue was we had late dinner seating and I was too full to eat the 2 midnight buffets. Next time I would eat less on those days or not go to the dining room. Hope everyone has a good time and if you have any other questions feel free to ask.

[suzeyQ]

As promised, here is my detailed review:

 

Explorer of the Seas – March 5 – 12, 2005 (Eastern Caribbean)

To give a bit of background before I start my review, I’ve sailed on a number of different cruise lines in the past including NCL, Royal, HAL, Sun Line (which doesn’t exist anymore) and Carnival. My first 4 cruises were 15-20 years ago but my 2 Carnival cruises were in the past few years.

Day 1 – Boarding - Miami

We arrived at the pier in Miami around 11:00am, hoping to board early, only to find out that there had been an outbreak of the Norwalk virus the week before and that the health department was going to be on board for a while ensuring that it was safe for us to board. We were worried that it was going to be hours before we could get on the ship but we were allowed to board around 1:00pm. We were able to bring on 2 bottles on wine and a 6-pack of beer in our carry-on – no one said a word. We were able to go to our cabin (balcony cabin 7274) and drop off our carry on luggage. We were very impressed with the size of the cabin and the amount of storage/cupboard space. I didn’t even need my over the door show holder! After getting settled in, we immediately went to Portofino to make a reservation and to the spa to book appointments. We then went to the Windjammer for lunch and sat out in the sun for a while. At 3:00pm, we went back to our cabin and discovered that 2 of our suitcases had arrived, so we started unpacking. My husband tried to blow up our inflatable palm tree for the balcony and we quickly realized that we should have brought a pump. So much for that idea!

Soon it was time for muster. It was a bit of a pain, as always, but only took about 15 minutes so we really can’t complain. After that, it was time to set sail. We headed for the Viking Crown lounge and met up with about 20 other Cruise Critic members to watch the ship leaving Miami.

Around 6:00pm, we headed down to the cabin to shower and change for dinner. We had second seating, so we went to the early Welcome Aboard show, which was very good. Clo, the cruise director, was hilarious and we got to see a sampling of the entertainment.

Next, it was off to dinner. We were at table 360 in the Magellan dining room (level 3). It was a table for 8 – we were seated with the other couple we were traveling with and a group of 4 mid-20-something’s who were on their second cruise. We met our waiter, Richard, and assistant waiter, Sander, both of whom did an excellent job the entire week. They were both very personable and made all of our meals pleasurable. We also met our head waiter, Mehat, who stopped by most evenings to say hello but didn’t do a whole lot else. We had dinner in the dining room every night except for Wednesday, when we ate at Portofino (which I’ll describe on Day 4).

We were quite impressed with the food in the dining room. It was by no means 5-star dining, but we didn’t expect that it would be. Considering the number of passengers being served all at once, I thought the chefs did a great job of preparing tasty meals that were presented very well.

After dinner, we went back to the Viking Crown/Dizzy’s to try out our ballroom dancing skills, since we had been taking lessons for 2 months leading up to the cruise. We had a lot of fun, although we were a little disappointed that there really wasn’t much of a dance floor. It seemed a little odd to advertise ballroom dancing and then not have a place to dance, but we made the best of it and danced beside our table.

Day 2 – At Sea

We were up by 8:00am for breakfast in the Windjammer. The lineups were long but they moved pretty quickly. Finding a place to sit was a bit of a challenge but we eventually found a table. The food was quite good and there was a large selection. The omelettes were especially tasty!

After breakfast, we went out to the pool to find a deck chair which, at 8:30, wasn’t too hard. I felt sorry for the people who showed up an hour later though, only to find 90% of the chairs covered with towels and books and flipflops. We didn’t do a whole lot for the rest of the day – mostly just lay in the sun and order yummy drinks (Mango Tangos if I recall correctly). Our waiter was even nice enough to bring us a box for the souvenir glasses we were collecting!

We went to a Wine Tasting in the dining room in the afternoon and were disappointed. The guy leading the seminar (one of the cellar masters) was one of the most boring speakers I’ve ever listened to and the wines we tasted were mostly pretty bad. The cellar master talked more about expensive wines that we weren’t tasting than the ones we were tasting. Having said all of that, anyone who was a real beginner at wine tasting might have enjoyed it more.

Day 2 was our first formal night so at 6:00pm, I went to the spa to have my hair put up. The stylist did a great job, but I thought $80 for an updo that took 20 minutes was a little pricey. Once we were ready, my husband and I went to the Champagne bar and met up with our traveling companions. We had a glass or 2 of bubbly and then walked through the Promenade where they were handing out champagne. We didn’t go for pictures with the captain because we got frustrated with the crowds, so we went and had some photos taken instead. Dinner was fabulous! The white glove service was a really nice touch and made you feel like you were in a fancy restaurant. Everyone at our table was dressed appropriately and it appeared as though most people in the dining room abided by the suggested dress code. That was one big difference I noticed between this cruise and my last 2 (on Carnival).

After dinner, we had a few more formal portraits taken and then went to the casino. I won a few hundred dollars, which was a nice way to end the night. We stopped at the Promenade Café for a slice of pizza (not the best I’ve ever had, but not bad) and went to bed.

Day 3 – San Juan, Puerto Rico

We got up around 9:00am this morning. I wasn’t concerned about being out early enough to get a deck chair because I knew they’d all open up as soon as we pulled into port, and I was planning to stay on the ship. We had breakfast in the dining room, which I highly recommend. The omelette and pancakes were both very good.

At noon, we pulled into port and our husbands left the ship to go check out Old San Juan. My girlfriend and I found some perfectly situated deck chairs and made ourselves at home. About 10 minutes later, the clouds rolled in and it started to rain. We sat out there for about an hour, hoping it would stop but finally gave up and went inside for a snack at the Promenade Café.

At 5:00, we had appointments at the spa for facials and massages. Very nice!!! The massage was relaxing and the facial was very much needed after being in the sun the day before. Because we were in port, we saved $20 each.

I met up with my husband around 7:00pm. He was somewhat underwhelmed with San Juan. We got ready for dinner and met for drinks with our traveling companions. It was Italian night in the dining room and everything was very good. We had purchased a Wine & Dine package the first night and ordered our second bottle with dinner that night – the only complaint I have about it is that it seemed to take forever for them to bring the bottle and open it for us. One night, we were halfway through our entrees before it arrived.

We went to the Aquarium Bar for a drink after dinner and then visited the Chamber lounge before going to bed.

Day 4 – St. Maarten

We had room service breakfast this morning – it was so nice sitting in the port in St. Maarten and eating pastries on our balcony.

We headed into town for some shopping in the morning. I had a birthday coming up so I was hoping to find some nice jewelry (and hoping to convince my husband to buy it for me). I succeeded in both and am now the proud owner of a beautiful tanzanite ring, pendant and earrings. We bought them at Majesty Jewelers, who were recommended to me by someone on the Cruise Critic boards. Their service was great and prices were very reasonable.

After that, my husband and my girlfriend went off to do the America’s Cup Racing shore excursion. Her husband and I wanted to go to Maho beach to watch the planes but a cab driver told us we wouldn’t have enough time since we had to be back on the ship quite early. Instead, we rented chairs and an umbrella and had drinks on the beach. The water was beautiful and we had a really fun afternoon.

We got back on the ship around 4:00pm. I wasn’t feeling well (probably from the drinks on the beach) so I lay down for a nap. We had tickets for the ice show that night but I ended up sleeping through it. I was feeling better by around 7:00pm though, so I got up, got ready for dinner, and we headed off to the Crown & Anchor Society party. It was quite nice – the cruise director, loyalty ambassador and captain spoke for a few minutes and we enjoyed the free drinks and appetizers.

We had reservations at Portofino this night. We were all blown away by the food there! We had an amazing meal and almost had to be rolled out of there. The only complaint I have is that I asked for my steak well done and it came medium rare. My husband’s was slightly more well done so we traded and I ate that, instead of sending it back. The desserts were truly amazing, especially the flourless chocolate cake!

Day 5 – St. Thomas

In the morning, we did some shopping at the shopping area near the dock. The shops were mostly the same as the ones in St. Maarten and considering how much money we spent in St. Maarten, we decided to just browse.

At noon, we headed back to the ship to join our shore excursion, the Buck Island Sail and Snorkel. It was a lot of fun. We went out on a sailboat with 2 other couples to Buck Island and had a guided snorkel tour. We saw some pretty fish, a stingray and a sea turtle. We then sailed back to the ship and enjoyed rum punch all the way back.

Dinner that night wasn’t great – I had a grilled pork chop which was ok, but not too impressive.

Thursday night we played “Quest” – what a blast!! My husband and I were “runners” for our team and it was great!! Everyone told me that Quest shouldn’t be missed and they were right. We hung around afterward and did some disco dancing and then headed to the Chamber for some dancing until really late. We got back to the room and I was starving so we ordered room service. It was a little slow (about 40 minutes) but worth the wait!

Day 6 – At Sea

I didn’t wake up until almost 9:00am because of the late night in the Chamber so I was late arriving on deck. Boy, did I regret sleeping in. We were able to find 2 deck chairs on the very upper deck, 100 miles from the pools. Most of the chairs just had towels on them and there were at least 20 of them whose “owners” didn’t appear until well after noon. I should have just gone and moved someone’s stuff but I decided not to bother getting into it with someone.

The water was really rough, as it had been for the past few days. They closed the pools for a while and when they were open, they looked more like wave pools than regular swimming pools. It was a blast – body surfing in a 20 foot long pool with 30 other people. Probably not the safest thing to do, but fun!!!

We had lunch at Johnny Rockets, which was very good. There was only about a 10 minute wait for a table. It was well worth the $3.95 cover charge.

After lunch, my husband entered the “Sexy Legs” competition. He didn’t win any of the prizes but I have some great pictures of him parading around to the judges. After that, we went to the Solarium to take a nap for a couple of hours.

As tonight was our second formal night, I again had my hair put up in the spa. I had the same stylist as before and she did a nice job.

We all met in the champagne bar and had a bottle of Dom Perignon to celebrate my birthday. We had a few more formal portraits taken and then headed into dinner. Dinner was, again, very good. The attire for the evening seemed to be slightly more casual than the first formal night but most people still seemed to stick to the suggested dress codes.

After dinner, we went to the Maharajas lounge, where they were supposed to have ballroom dancing. Unfortunately, the band’s regular bassist/singer was downstairs playing with the Nelson brothers so they had a substitute who didn’t know most of the music so they were playing more basic things, most of which didn’t involve ballroom dancing. After that, we headed to the casino and then to the Promenade Café for late-night pizza.

Day 7 – Nassau

We got into Nassau at noon and left for our excursion – swimming with the dolphins on Blue Lagoon Island. This was one of the best excursions I’ve ever taken in my life. We were in the water with the dolphins for about half an hour and had a lot of interaction with them. The best part was when I was pushed across the lagoon at about 25 miles an hour by 2 of them.

Unfortunately, the rest of day wasn’t so great. It was our last day so we headed back to the ship and started packing. We had most of it done and our luggage outside before dinner so we could enjoy the rest of the evening. We had a nice dinner, said goodbye to our tablemates and waiters and then headed to the casino for a bit.

We then went out to the helipad and watched the waves and other ships for a while and took a walk around the deck. Then we went back to the room and sat on our balcony and enjoyed the view for a couple of hours before going to bed.

Day 8 – Back in Miami

Debarkation went pretty smoothly. We were off the ship right on schedule and through immigration quite quickly. I always hate debarkation day because of that feeling of being shoved off the ship. It was no different this time. If some cruise line could come up with a way of making the last morning more pleasant, they’d make millions.

Overall Review

As you can probably tell from my review, I was very impressed with our cruise. I have to admit that I was a little skeptical going into it, because I had heard so many people comparing RCI to Carnival and suggesting that the 2 lines are very similar. I’ve been on 2 Carnival cruises and while I had a good time, they weren’t up to my “standards” of what a cruise should be like with respect to food, service, amenities, etc. I was worried that RCI was going to leave me with the same opinion, despite how I remembered my last RCCL cruise (which was in 1991).

I was very pleasantly surprised – other than a very few (and minor) complaints, the Explorer of the Seas, the food and the staff were exceptional. The ship itself is beautiful. The Promenade is gorgeous and the décor on the entire ship is stunning. The solarium (adults-only pool area) was beautiful. The dining room décor was fantastic – we always felt like we were in a very formal atmosphere.

The food was also very good, especially at Portofino. As I said above, the food in the dining room certainly isn’t 5-star quality but it’s certainly better than the average restaurant and considering the fact that they’re feeding 3500 people, I thought they did a great job.

The service in the dining room was probably the best service I’ve ever had on a cruise. Both Richard and Sander were very attentive and friendly and knew how to keep everyone happy. Our cabin steward left us towel animals every night and kept our ice bucket filled. The pool and bar waiters were great – we found that a few dollar bills made them even more attentive and we were never without a drink. That also bought us a lot of extra rum in our drinks of the day!!

The age range went from one end of the spectrum to the other, but I would say the average age was around 35. It was a good crowd – there was definitely a night life but it wasn’t a party ship.

[jabraun]

U25601, Thanks For The Review. I Had Heard The Capt. Was Not The Best. As For The Stain On The Bed! I Don't Like Hearing That. I Have Never Been On Rcl. Only Ncl And Disney. We Liked Disney Alot More. The Main Thing I Have Been Concerned About Is The Darn Outbreak, Sure Hope Its Long Gone By The 26th!! Thanks Again For The Info.