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review published

vistaman

By vistaman,
in Explora Journeys

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sasejm

sasejm

Posted
Posted
28 minutes ago, vistaman said:

My review is published and all the items I wrote  are the truth in full.

 

I read your review and I'm glad to see you at least liked the potatoes with caviar. I'll be sure to look for the potatoes on our November cruise. 

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Catlover54 Great Review Rare

Catlover54

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, vistaman said:

My review is published and all the items I wrote  are the truth in full.

 

I appreciate the balance (i.e., noting not just things you disliked, but also good things you liked), and all the details you provided about the not so good things.  Specifics you provide make it more difficult for potential cheerleaders who may have vested interests (as occurs on other lines) to pounce on you, e.g., to insist that you were mistaken, didn't do something correctly, exaggerated the importance of some issues, didn't have the right attitude, don't appreciate how lucky you are while people are suffering in the Ukraine, etc. There will always be some who will even accuse critics who provide specifics of being liars, though they usually use more elaborate phrasing or euphemisms.

 

Probably the most disturbing to me is that unlike on other luxury lines, the food and beverage managers were uninterested in at least pretending that they valued your input.  They seem to be foreclosing improvement.  

 

The other review available, by a frequent cruiser,  so far also rated their cruise no higher than yours.

 

But of course travel influencers and travel writers all over the internet who had complimentary cruises are, not surprisingly,  swooning.  

 

You cruise so much that had you been impressed with this cruise, you could have become a loyal and regular customer and thus a source of good profit for them.  They blew it.

 

So far, based on what I have read here and elsewhere, Explora would have to have a spectacular and convenient itinerary at an amazing price for me to book them, or a Hapag Lloyd Europa style Ocean Sun classical music festival.

It's not any one thing you described that is a deal breaker, it is the long report of non-luxury behaviors that was bothersome  (I had to laugh at the 20cc bottle of premium spirits they came up with for you).  

 

We'll see what their occupancies are over the next few months, compared with other luxury lines.  Maybe there is a group of paying customers that will find a niche for themselves on Explora as is, a group  that will be fine with luxury prices without luxury food and beverage.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Catlover54
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johng75370

johng75370

Posted
Posted

@vistaman thank you for your balanced report, especially with very good specific examples.  The one I am concerned about is mineral water - do they offer known waters in the restaurants, ideally a choice of them?  Do you think I should ask ahead for my mid-December “journey” that my cabin be stocked with S. Pelligrino?  I’ve lowered my expectations already, but the mineral water issue will push it much further down. 

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saminina

saminina

Posted
Posted (edited)

I thought they had a contract with Steinway to provide a classical pianist to go with their pianos.

 

Pelligrino is available.   Not yet settled is do they charge?   Still bottled is not looking good. 

 

Biggest fear is that it might be all downhill from here.   If they are catering to idiots, why not cheapen the product?  I'm feeling the hires from the so called lux lines are there to draw in suckers..... like me.

 

 

Edited by saminina
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vistaman

vistaman

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3 hours ago, johng75370 said:

@vistaman thank you for your balanced report, especially with very good specific examples.  The one I am concerned about is mineral water - do they offer known waters in the restaurants, ideally a choice of them?  Do you think I should ask ahead for my mid-December “journey” that my cabin be stocked with S. Pelligrino?  I’ve lowered my expectations already, but the mineral water issue will push it much further down. 

I was asking for decent water in my cabin , despite my attendant was great he only brought it on day 6.

And I did not insist in the  restauarants  , my TA went to see the ship in Zeebrugge and carried 6 half liters of the Belgian brand Chaudfontaine ( owned by the biggest cola company ) , i bought Perrier and in the UK  Hildon and Highland Springs. 

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

Posted
Posted

Thank you for the review.  We are starting to get more of a picture of what to expect when we board EJ1, later this month.  For us, a quick basis of comparison would likely be our most recent (last month) cruise on the Seabourn Quest.  Like EJ, when you board Seabourn there is generally nobody to routinely carry your carry-on bags to your suite.  The normal SB suites also have a single room bath that includes a double vanity/sink, shower, full size tub, and WC/toilet.  On SB you would be greeted with a chilled bottle of Montaudon Brut Champagne.  A fruit bowl is no longer provided (to avoid waste) but can be requested from your suite steward or room service.  In fact, we are seeing this (no fruit bowl) on more lines.  On SB, if I were to request a bottle of Cognac (for the cabin) I would likely get a full size bottle of Courvoisier VS or Hardys VS  (VSOPs are available at all the bars).  I am curious as to whether EJ provides caviar (on demand) and how they adjust for the lack of anykind of pool grill.  Will one still be able to order a snack, while sitting at a pool/deck lounger?

 

The reviewers' comments about the beef on EJ, do cause me lots of concern (I am a beef lover).   I thought it interesting that the EJ folks make a point to say that they source their beef from Europe, as we generally prefer beef from North America or Argentina.  

 

The two posted reviews certainly give us some heartburn and we sure hope that EJ has made some "adjustments" before we board.

 

Hank

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vistaman

vistaman

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Posted
1 hour ago, Nunagoras said:

Ok, congrats to the review. They'll need to settle back the offering according to segment expectancy. Let them to have some time on the learning curve. Wonderful to have those reviews though!...

some of the guests - as it were -  completely overwhelmed by the free Moët

when I said something on board about the not so great complementary wines : several especially young ones replied  : we do not care we only drink Champagne.

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Mr Luxury

Mr Luxury

Posted
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2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Thank you for the review.  We are starting to get more of a picture of what to expect when we board EJ1, later this month.  For us, a quick basis of comparison would likely be our most recent (last month) cruise on the Seabourn Quest.  Like EJ, when you board Seabourn there is generally nobody to routinely carry your carry-on bags to your suite.  The normal SB suites also have a single room bath that includes a double vanity/sink, shower, full size tub, and WC/toilet.  On SB you would be greeted with a chilled bottle of Montaudon Brut Champagne.  A fruit bowl is no longer provided (to avoid waste) but can be requested from your suite steward or room service.  In fact, we are seeing this (no fruit bowl) on more lines.  On SB, if I were to request a bottle of Cognac (for the cabin) I would likely get a full size bottle of Courvoisier VS or Hardys VS  (VSOPs are available at all the bars).  I am curious as to whether EJ provides caviar (on demand) and how they adjust for the lack of anykind of pool grill.  Will one still be able to order a snack, while sitting at a pool/deck lounger?

 

The reviewers' comments about the beef on EJ, do cause me lots of concern (I am a beef lover).   I thought it interesting that the EJ folks make a point to say that they source their beef from Europe, as we generally prefer beef from North America or Argentina.  

 

The two posted reviews certainly give us some heartburn and we sure hope that EJ has made some "adjustments" before we board.

 

Hank

I have always had an offer to carry bags onto the ship when with Seabourn.

I did on Encore and Pursuit last month.

In fact the hotel director carried mine when I got off the Pursuit in Monaco.

Yes,I know many of you would say that he wanted to make sure that i had left.

Fruit bowl in the suite,flowers,champagne,Grey Goose and Tanqueray 10

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

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11 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

I have always had an offer to carry bags onto the ship when with Seabourn.

I did on Encore and Pursuit last month.

In fact the hotel director carried mine when I got off the Pursuit in Monaco.

Yes,I know many of you would say that he wanted to make sure that i had left.

Fruit bowl in the suite,flowers,champagne,Grey Goose and Tanqueray 10

When we recently embarked on the Quest (Lisbon) there was the usual greeting party (CD, Assistant CD, and Hotel Manager) at the ship's entrance.  I suppose if we had looked helpless, or asked for help, it would have been provided.  But as we went aboard (with about a dozen others), nobody offered to carry bags.  The only embarkation service was they had a crew member at each elevator bank (on every deck) to help with info.  We found this amusing because when we left our suite to go to lunch, the crew member asked where we were going (so he could help) and we mentioned the Colonnade!  He told us "Deck 7" which was wrong!  We later learned he was on his first contract :).

 

For what it's worth, we are big Seabourn fans and have very few complaints about that line.  For us, it is the standard that we use to judge other luxury lines.  When we embark on the EJ1, I will be mentally comparing it to SB and the Yacht Club, since we have very recent experience with both of those entities.  

 

Hank

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uktog "Live from...." Rare

uktog

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When we board we will have very recent experience of Viking and will be comparing Explora with that. Viking is currently exceeding expectations and based on their marketing and PR Explora is supposed to be above that. Price wise it certainly is. So our benchmark will be is it worth that excess to us 

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morpheusofthesea "Live from...." Rare

morpheusofthesea

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From these reports we are very concerned about what we consider at the top of our wish list. Paying $1000, $1500, and now for Explora II $2000 per person per day for a Cove Residence, we do not want to be limited to 2 dining reservations per cruise or voyage and be charged for water or any kind of drinks we prefer. Sorry, but MSC Yacht Club has spoiled us these past two years. Never heard the word 'no'.  Now we are willing to give Explora the 'benefit of the doubt' by contemplating them hiding the 'good stuff' for the real paying guests in the near future. Time will tell. But should we get on board and be denied access to any venue at any time, it's adieu, goodbye, adios, bon voyage, bye-bye, and cheerio.

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