Onboard Explora 1 (Sept 25- Oct 13) with Hank

[morpheusofthesea]

2 hours ago, jsea said:

We must be reading the same posts because prior to boarding I was under the impression one needed to leave a trail of breadcrumbs in order to not get lost 😂.

Readers beware. Take everything with a grain of salt. Found ultracrepidarians abound, besides influencers payed or unpaid.

[Waltershipman]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Readers beware. Take everything with a grain of salt. Found ultracrepidarians abound, besides influencers payed or unpaid.

I keep looking to find and identify influencers lolz 

[Hlitner]

The issue is that most cruisers are used to relying on deck plans displayed all over a ship.  But on EJ, there are no displayed deck plans.  One must rely on sign placards which are supposed to make the “vessel” feel like a hotel.

[Stickman1990]

3 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Readers beware. Take everything with a grain of salt. Found ultracrepidarians abound, besides influencers payed or unpaid.

Are they people who have actually sailed on Explora?

[vistaman]

1 hour ago, Stickman1990 said:

Are they people who have actually sailed on Explora?

yes , I am and I did pay a 5 fig fare !

those TA , journalists and similar did get attention by some superiors and were pampered , hors d' oevres and canapes   -  

I gave a full sheet with comments , no single reply by gen manager F&B ... 

and I am not performing the liars club at all 

[morpheusofthesea]

4 hours ago, Stickman1990 said:

Are they people who have actually sailed on Explora?

Of course they are. Real affluent knowledgeable cruisers know better than to cruise the first few months of any new ship. Every guru in the cruise industry acknowledges this fact.

[Waltershipman]

Found out from our room steward today that DW and I are the 1st guests to occupy our suite. SWEET

[Waltershipman]

Nice 2 hou plus meal last night at Marble with superior setvice similar to fine restaurants and i am neithrt a TA nor infkuencer except  hopefully to my immediate family and they are not on board except my wife.

 

Halibut good Frank potatoes great gravlox super nice

 

The only disappointment was the lobster roll. I am used to buttery claw filled rolls where the taste of the lobster dominate. This roll was small pieces of lobster with a mix of other salad like pieces.  Oh well maybe the influencers on board ate ip all of the lobster lol

 

Great service and top notch care all around the ship.

 

The evening entertainment was very enjoyable. Two English piano players havibg a ball displaying great skill and fun 

 

 

[morpheusofthesea]

35 minutes ago, Waltershipman said:

Nice 2 hou plus meal last night at Marble

That is nice for many I guess. But for others we would say that was slow service and complain about a 2 hour meal and not being able to get to a show on time. Thank you for posting. It is very revealing and informative and I am getting a truer sense of what is really happening. Your reporting is well balanced.

[Waltershipman]

Just now, morpheusofthesea said:

That is nice for many I guess. But for others we would say that was slow service and complain about a 2 hour meal and not being able to get to a show on time. Thank you for posting. It is very revealing and informative and I am getting a truer sense of what is really happening. Your reporting is well balanced.

Indeed thank you 

 

Truly for us the service was not at all  slow it was more akin to a well pace special dinner that one might enjoy for special occasions plus the restaurant is beautiful. We still made it to the show 

 

Because EJ is so new I knew it was helpful to me before boarding to see what others thought  I also knew that my experience would be unique to me so I did not want to be tainted

 

Its really a lovely cruise. I will continue to post and I appreciate your kind words anout my posts

 

Thank you 

[Host Jazzbeau]

15 hours ago, Hlitner said:

 Speaking of signage, this ship has what I call "EJ Speak."  So, for example, the ship is not a ship or a cruise ship but a "vessel."  The Cruise Director is not a cruise director but an Experience Manager.  Crew members are hosts.  Having spend a lot of time on cruise ships the terminology is sometimes humerous.  One day, during his noon update, the Captain actually had the nerve to say that the update was for passengers and crew instead of for guests and hosts!

 

Hank

“Starbucks of the Seas” 😀

[uktog]

21 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

That is nice for many I guess. But for others we would say that was slow service and complain about a 2 hour meal and not being able to get to a show on time. Thank you for posting. It is very revealing and informative and I am getting a truer sense of what is really happening. Your reporting is well balanced.

Explora have frequently commented that they do not focus on shows at set times as the food takes centre stage and they do not want chefs being rushed by waiters on behalf of guests so they can reach a show. This was covered in an early video by the head of entertainment that’s on YouTube 

[Host Jazzbeau]

56 minutes ago, Waltershipman said:

Nice 2 hou plus meal last night at Marble with superior setvice similar to fine restaurants

 

18 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

That is nice for many I guess. But for others we would say that was slow service and complain about a 2 hour meal and not being able to get to a show on time. Thank you for posting. It is very revealing and informative and I am getting a truer sense of what is really happening. Your reporting is well balanced.

This is why I rarely read the Reviews section on Cruise Critic:  you don’t know who the reviewer is or what they like/dislike.  
 

DW and I like to share a table at dinner and get to know new friends — we usually close the dining room. If we miss the show, the conversation was our entertainment.

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, Waltershipman said:

Nice 2 hou plus meal last night at Marble with superior setvice similar to fine restaurants and i am neithrt a TA nor infkuencer except  hopefully to my immediate family and they are not on board except my wife.

 

Halibut good Frank potatoes great gravlox super nice

 

The only disappointment was the lobster roll. I am used to buttery claw filled rolls where the taste of the lobster dominate. This roll was small pieces of lobster with a mix of other salad like pieces.  Oh well maybe the influencers on board ate ip all of the lobster lol

 

Great service and top notch care all around the ship.

 

The evening entertainment was very enjoyable. Two English piano players havibg a ball displaying great skill and fun 

 

 

DW also had similar thoughts about the lobster roll in Marble.  When we were in Boston (our first port after embarking in NYC) we walked over to Yankee Lobster and had the real thing with about a pound of lobster in the roll, including claw meat.  The cost of that gem was $38 and worth every penny.

 

Halifax also has some good lobster and lobster rolls, so a good reason to eat lunch off the ship 🤪

 

Hank

[Waltershipman]

35 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

DW also had similar thoughts about the lobster roll in Marble.  When we were in Boston (our first port after embarking in NYC) we walked over to Yankee Lobster and had the real thing with about a pound of lobster in the roll, including claw meat.  The cost of that gem was $38 and worth every penny.

 

Halifax also has some good lobster and lobster rolls, so a good reason to eat lunch off the ship 🤪

 

Hank

Absolutely thank you

[Waltershipman]

57 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

“Starbucks of the Seas” 😀

Starbucks of the Seas is Royal Carribeans new ship I am told

[jsea]

21 hours ago, kelleherdl said:

They need to turn the heat up on the pancake griddle. It takes entirely too long to make my fresh blueberry pancakes. 😀. The young lady cook has never been to a Waffle House. 😀. She does do a wonderful job, and they are delicious. When she would see me coming each morning she would immediately start a couple. Their training is so rigorous she even temperature checks them to ensure doneness. Which to my thinking is over the top, but I can wait. 

Yes - it takes a very long time to get pancakes and other items. On the one hand, the fact that they are prepared on demand is fantastic, on the other, it leads to folks congregating in the area and I don’t see how it will work well when the ship is at capacity. 
 

One idea is for tables to have discrete number markings. You let the kitchen staff know your table number and then a runner will deliver it to your table when ready.

[jsea]

1 hour ago, Waltershipman said:

Indeed thank you 

 

Truly for us the service was not at all  slow it was more akin to a well pace special dinner that one might enjoy for special occasions plus the restaurant is beautiful. We still made it to the show 

 

Because EJ is so new I knew it was helpful to me before boarding to see what others thought  I also knew that my experience would be unique to me so I did not want to be tainted

 

Its really a lovely cruise. I will continue to post and I appreciate your kind words anout my posts

 

Thank you 

Agree with your sentiments wholeheartedly. The staff lets you pace dinner as quickly or as slowly as you desire.

[jsea]

She’s open again today. But, for maintenance.

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

8 minutes ago, Waltershipman said:

Starbucks of the Seas is Royal Carribeans new ship I am told

Their coffee isn’t that good. And I hate Starbucks!

[Hlitner]

So now we are starting to get into the nitty gritty details and negative issues.  Once the WOW factor wears off, issues like made to order delays in the Emporium do come front and center.  EJ does not want to be compared to any other line but, Seabourn solved (years ago) the inherent made to order issues in their lido (Colonnade).  They simply use a hybrid system of some buffet combined with sit down ordering and service.  If you want Blueberry Pancakes, you simply tell a waiter who immediately inputs your order into a tablet. The nearby galley (an open galley) makes your order which is quickly delivered to your table.  EJ needs to adopt something similar, but it will likely take years until they accept the faults in their system and seek a solution.  
 

Another issue here is the lack of decent port information.  No port lectures, handouts of port info, or even information on port shuttles.  You just have to discover this stuff on your own, often by walking off the ship and hoping for the best.  This is fine for very independent folks but will not please many cruisers who expect more info.  We are docked in Baie-Conway today.  There was zero info, in the daily program, on how ti get into town (about 2km distant).  We assume there is some kind of shuttle, but will not know until we are off the ship.  I guess one could also go to one of the Guest Services desks, wait to see a

”host” and hope they have some

answers.  

 

I think EJ sees themselves as a hotel, not a cruise ship.  Those expecting a more traditional experience might be unhappy.  Also consider folks that normally enjoy table sharing on cruise ships.  There is no provision for that on EJ (although they do have some get togethers for singles). You cannot go into any dining venue and ask to share a table.  They also do not have anything like the popular “hosted tables” found on Seabourn and some other lines.  The Chefs Kitchen program (only a dozen participants) is one way to meet folks, but you will pay 150 Euros per class. 

And lastly a word about the bagels.  They look good, but are simply soft bread in the shape of a bagel.  They would not pass muster in either NYC or

Montreal where a bagel must have a

firm chewy texture.  I have spent nearly 50 years looking for my first good bagel on a cruise ship, and that quest must now continue.

 

Hank

 

 

[Oh2Bcruisin]

39 minutes ago, jsea said:

Yes - it takes a very long time to get pancakes and other items. On the one hand, the fact that they are prepared on demand is fantastic, on the other, it leads to folks congregating in the area and I don’t see how it will work well when the ship is at capacity. 
 

One idea is for tables to have discrete number markings. You let the kitchen staff know your table number and then a runner will deliver it to your table when ready.

Regent does just what you described. For breakfast and lunch you go up and place an order. They ask for your table number and deliver it when completed. Besides avoiding the wait you are now free to check out the other items in the buffet. That shouldn’t be too hard for Explora to implement. 

[Waltershipman]

16 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

So now we are starting to get into the nitty gritty details and negative issues.  Once the WOW factor wears off, issues like made to order delays in the Emporium do come front and center.  EJ does not want to be compared to any other line but, Seabourn solved (years ago) the inherent made to order issues in their lido (Colonnade).  They simply use a hybrid system of some buffet combined with sit down ordering and service.  If you want Blueberry Pancakes, you simply tell a waiter who immediately inputs your order into a tablet. The nearby galley (an open galley) makes your order which is quickly delivered to your table.  EJ needs to adopt something similar, but it will likely take years until they accept the faults in their system and seek a solution.  
 

Another issue here is the lack of decent port information.  No port lectures, handouts of port info, or even information on port shuttles.  You just have to discover this stuff on your own, often by walking off the ship and hoping for the best.  This is fine for very independent folks but will not please many cruisers who expect more info.  We are docked in Baie-Conway today.  There was zero info, in the daily program, on how ti get into town (about 2km distant).  We assume there is some kind of shuttle, but will not know until we are off the ship.  I guess one could also go to one of the Guest Services desks, wait to see a

”host” and hope they have some

answers.  

 

I think EJ sees themselves as a hotel, not a cruise ship.  Those expecting a more traditional experience might be unhappy.  Also consider folks that normally enjoy table sharing on cruise ships.  There is no provision for that on EJ (although they do have some get togethers for singles). You cannot go into any dining venue and ask to share a table.  They also do not have anything like the popular “hosted tables” found on Seabourn and some other lines.  The Chefs Kitchen program (only a dozen participants) is one way to meet folks, but you will pay 150 Euros per class. 

And lastly a word about the bagels.  They look good, but are simply soft bread in the shape of a bagel.  They would not pass muster in either NYC or

Montreal where a bagel must have a

firm chewy texture.  I have spent nearly 50 years looking for my first good bagel on a cruise ship, and that quest must now continue.

 

Hank

 

 

Up until now i thought the best bagel i had ever eaten is produced in Portland by a local yet large maker of bread and bagel products supplying to markets named Franz bakery. Well bagel eaters will obviously differ in opinions however i really enjoybthe absolute lightness of the EJ bagel.

 

My bagel joke of the day HOW TO DO KEEP SOMEONE FROM STEALING YOUR BAGEL 

 

 

PUT LOX ON IT

 

 

[Waltershipman]

22 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

So now we are starting to get into the nitty gritty details and negative issues.  Once the WOW factor wears off, issues like made to order delays in the Emporium do come front and center.  EJ does not want to be compared to any other line but, Seabourn solved (years ago) the inherent made to order issues in their lido (Colonnade).  They simply use a hybrid system of some buffet combined with sit down ordering and service.  If you want Blueberry Pancakes, you simply tell a waiter who immediately inputs your order into a tablet. The nearby galley (an open galley) makes your order which is quickly delivered to your table.  EJ needs to adopt something similar, but it will likely take years until they accept the faults in their system and seek a solution.  
 

Another issue here is the lack of decent port information.  No port lectures, handouts of port info, or even information on port shuttles.  You just have to discover this stuff on your own, often by walking off the ship and hoping for the best.  This is fine for very independent folks but will not please many cruisers who expect more info.  We are docked in Baie-Conway today.  There was zero info, in the daily program, on how ti get into town (about 2km distant).  We assume there is some kind of shuttle, but will not know until we are off the ship.  I guess one could also go to one of the Guest Services desks, wait to see a

”host” and hope they have some

answers.  

 

I think EJ sees themselves as a hotel, not a cruise ship.  Those expecting a more traditional experience might be unhappy.  Also consider folks that normally enjoy table sharing on cruise ships.  There is no provision for that on EJ (although they do have some get togethers for singles). You cannot go into any dining venue and ask to share a table.  They also do not have anything like the popular “hosted tables” found on Seabourn and some other lines.  The Chefs Kitchen program (only a dozen participants) is one way to meet folks, but you will pay 150 Euros per class. 

And lastly a word about the bagels.  They look good, but are simply soft bread in the shape of a bagel.  They would not pass muster in either NYC or

Montreal where a bagel must have a

firm chewy texture.  I have spent nearly 50 years looking for my first good bagel on a cruise ship, and that quest must now continue.

 

Hank

 

 

Bagel opinion forum 

[Waltershipman]

20 minutes ago, Oh2Bcruisin said:

Regent does just what you described. For breakfast and lunch you go up and place an order. They ask for your table number and deliver it when completed. Besides avoiding the wait you are now free to check out the other items in the buffet. That shouldn’t be too hard for Explora to implement. 

Realistically and I think it will become more 

Problematic when the ship is at high capacity. It is an issue when you order from one part of Emporium and then go to another item somewhere else then go back and pick up your original item sort of like a buffet then take rhe items to your table then go back and pick out the items you want etc. Thats what i did at breakfast this morning  along with my tasty bagel location. Lol 

 

Does not sound like a hugh problem its just cumbersome