Miami to Miami - November 3-17, 2023

[florisdekort]

2 hours ago, LostAtSeaForever said:

Part of the cluster mess in port on Friday was because they were letting Travel Agents tour the ship.  So boarding did not begin until after 11 and there was no real direction from anyone so everyone made for the check in area…who can blame them! No mimosas, champagne or any other delights in the waiting area other than funky tasting cucumber water. Did not feel like luxury cruise line. 
 

We had OT1 cabin and it was very small and narrow. We went to customer service to inquire about upgrading. Especially since we heard only 450 on board so we expected availability. They literally told us the only thing they had were the very best premium penthouses and above because all the TA’s were upgraded to the penthouses. Did not sit well with us or others we know that also inquired about upgrading because the Ocean Terrace Categories are quite small not at all as promised. They wanted another 10k to upgrade!! Unbelievable!!! there also was no room for negotiation.  
 

The night from Miami to Key West it was also quite loud in our cabin. Ship groaned and moaned all night. Second evening was much quieter. 
 

Food and service is amazing as reported and ship is lovely. Although the very low chairs are a struggle for some. 

Disappointing to read that Explora did not learn from past mistakes. 
 

[InsGuy3]

Today’s program below:

[morpheusofthesea]

6 hours ago, LostAtSeaForever said:

They wanted another 10k to upgrade!! Unbelievable!!! there also was no room for negotiation.  

What would that come to total ? We are paying $36,100 for 2 weeks in a Cove Residence? Perhaps the $10,000 is still a bargain?

[Hlitner]

5 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

What would that come to total ? We are paying $36,100 for 2 weeks in a Cove Residence? Perhaps the $10,000 is still a bargain?

And just think, you will be getting exactly the same food, booze, and entertainment of the folks paying less than half that amount.  But you will have a spacious suite.

[Dr. Cocktail]

5 hours ago, InsGuy3 said:

Today’s program below:

 

Thanks soooooo much for taking the time to photograph, comment on and post!

 

I'm disappointed to see that one of my oft referred to pet peeves has not been solved. I notice that there is live music in three lounges simultaneously from about 6:30 to 7:15 and then nothing until 8:30. It would be very easy to stagger the groups so that there's continuous live music. Explora has repeatedly stated that they want you to dine when you want and not have to miss entertainment but when all the music stops at 7:15, they're basically saying: "GO EAT!!!"

[morpheusofthesea]

20 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

And just think, you will be getting exactly the same food, booze, and entertainment of the folks paying less than half that amount.  But you will have a spacious suite.

Yes. Exactly how we used to think for the last 50 years cruising. But now, in our final stretch, we are looking for the best life has to offer. A cabin with separate bedroom, walk-in shower, balcony with cushioned lounger, plenty of storage space (DW travels with 12 suitcases), quiet, romantic table for two every evening with the same waiters (like to tip), reserved seating for a nightly show, personal escorts on and off the ship. Basically everything we have found in the MSC Yacht Club, thanks to your posts about MSC a few years ago. Should our paths ever cross one day we shall buy you a bottle of your favorite libation as thanks for the best descriptions of cruise ships we have had the pleasure to read.

[uktog]

I dont possess 12 suitcases.  Can I still cruise on Explora? 🙂 

[Hlitner]

5 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Yes. Exactly how we used to think for the last 50 years cruising. But now, in our final stretch, we are looking for the best life has to offer. A cabin with separate bedroom, walk-in shower, balcony with cushioned lounger, plenty of storage space (DW travels with 12 suitcases), quiet, romantic table for two every evening with the same waiters (like to tip), reserved seating for a nightly show, personal escorts on and off the ship. Basically everything we have found in the MSC Yacht Club, thanks to your posts about MSC a few years ago. Should our paths ever cross one day we shall buy you a bottle of your favorite libation as thanks for the best descriptions of cruise ships we have had the pleasure to read.

We agree with much of what you say, except the "quiet table" with the same waiters.  You are aware that EJ1 has 4 normal sit-down restaurants (each with their own menus) plus the Emporium....not to mention the ambitions Anthology.  If you limit yourself to a single dining venue you would be missing what makes this line somewhat different than other lines....namely the interesting and very good cuisine.  Yes, one could go to Fil Rouge or the Med Yacht Club (every night) and eat the same items.  Not sure you would even get the same waiter in the same venue as we did notice there was substantial moving around of staff (on our 2 cruises).  That being said, we thought all the wait staff was excellent and would fall over themselves trying to please we diners.  In fact, DW reminds me that our favorite waiter/crew member waited on us in Sakura, and than a few days later he was working in Marble and Co.  

 

Since you mention enjoying some of our posts, here is another with a very friendly suggestion.  Although I understand (from your prior posts) that you are not always looking for lots of food variety, the best part of EJ1 is (in our opinion) the entire cuisine "thing."  We found things to like (and not like) on every menu.  There were some menus that "appeared" (at first glance) to be better than others, but that usually turned out not to be the case once we tried the actual food.  Just consider that DW, who has never eaten sushi in her life, actually discovered that some of the sushi in Sakura was very good.  Even a basic item like steak, is offered in multiple venues and may involve different cuts prepared differently.

 

Hank

[morpheusofthesea]

9 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

If you limit yourself to a single dining venue you would be missing what makes this line somewhat different than other lines....namely the interesting and very good cuisine.

Yes, we understand. We are very simple plain eaters. Just got our 2 reservations booked for the two ,Sakura and Marble, and are resigning ourselves to eating in the Emporeum for the whole cruise. Being mostly plated and no self service we are happy with that and the choices appear to be plainer. The lack of continuous entertainment every evening is also disconcerting and combined makes us sorry we booked 2 weeks instead of just one week. We have been spoiled by MSC Yacht Club.

[Waltershipman]

23 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Yes, we understand. We are very simple plain eaters. Just got our 2 reservations booked for the two ,Sakura and Marble, and are resigning ourselves to eating in the Emporeum for the whole cruise. Being mostly plated and no self service we are happy with that and the choices appear to be plainer. The lack of continuous entertainment every evening is also disconcerting and combined makes us sorry we booked 2 weeks instead of just one week. We have been spoiled by MSC Yacht Club.

Our cruise was si excellent that we do hope to go again so much greatness and food was truly exceptional 

[gymfreak]

56 minutes ago, uktog said:

I dont possess 12 suitcases.  Can I still cruise on Explora? 🙂 

Not only do I not have 12 suitcases I don’t have enough clothes, shoes etc to even fill them if I did! 
Packing and unpacking on return just the one is enough just to keep me sane😉

[PrivateIdaho]

14 hours ago, LostAtSeaForever said:

Ocean Terrace Categories are quite small not at all as promised.

Hmm, not our experience. We were pleased with our OTC suite. For an entry level accommodation we found it large, comfortable, plenty of storage and it was more than we expected based on the pre cruise literature. Probably one of the nicest entry level suites we’ve experienced while cruising. We were later moved to a Premier Penthouse and while very nice, we actually liked the open space in the OTC better. 
 

Perhaps the Explora experience isn’t for everyone and frankly you’d need to pay me to sail on mega MSC YC. Glad there are different choices for all. We will be going on our third EJ cruise in December, in an OTC suite. 

[Critically Cruising]

9 hours ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

I'm disappointed to see that one of my oft referred to pet peeves has not been solved. I notice that there is live music in three lounges simultaneously from about 6:30 to 7:15 and then nothing until 8:30. It would be very easy to stagger the groups so that there's continuous live music. Explora has repeatedly stated that they want you to dine when you want and not have to miss entertainment but when all the music stops at 7:15, they're basically saying: "GO EAT!!!"

 

Looking at the photo of the program, note the box titled "Reimagine Entertainment".  And its contents.

 

But I don't think that's what you had in mind.

 

 

[Dr. Cocktail]

10 minutes ago, Critically Cruising said:

 

Looking at the photo of the program, note the box titled "Reimagine Entertainment".  And its contents.

 

But I don't think that's what you had in mind.

 

 

I would ordinarily call you a cranky-pants but I will cede this point ....🤷‍♂️

 

Let's see if they're willing to change while on board....

Edited November 7, 2023 by Dr. Cocktail

[Waltershipman]

6 hours ago, PrivateIdaho said:

Hmm, not our experience. We were pleased with our OTC suite. For an entry level accommodation we found it large, comfortable, plenty of storage and it was more than we expected based on the pre cruise literature. Probably one of the nicest entry level suites we’ve experienced while cruising. We were later moved to a Premier Penthouse and while very nice, we actually liked the open space in the OTC better. 
 

Perhaps the Explora experience isn’t for everyone and frankly you’d need to pay me to sail on mega MSC YC. Glad there are different choices for all. We will be going on our third EJ cruise in December, in an OTC suite. 

We too loved our OTC 1 great 👍 👌 😀 

[Hlitner]

9 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Yes, we understand. We are very simple plain eaters. Just got our 2 reservations booked for the two ,Sakura and Marble, and are resigning ourselves to eating in the Emporeum for the whole cruise. Being mostly plated and no self service we are happy with that and the choices appear to be plainer. The lack of continuous entertainment every evening is also disconcerting and combined makes us sorry we booked 2 weeks instead of just one week. We have been spoiled by MSC Yacht Club.

We had two dinners in the Emporium (one forced on us because of the Naming Ceremony night issues).  The food in the Emporium is very good, but DW and I were not big fans for dinner.  Nothing "romantic" about that venue, and it can be a challenge to fill one's place because of the way the place is laid out.  For example, if you want to get seafood you need to wait until they cook your selection.  But you would than need to go elsewhere to get other items (while your seafood is cooling off).  If you want pasta, you choose your pasta (there are usually 4 or 5 options) and than tell  the cook what sauce (usually at least 4 choices).  He will than make your pasta, but this takes a few minutes,  And that is all you have on your plate.  The fact that just about everythig is made to order works against folks who want several items on their plate. 

 

My favorite part of the Emporium was the raw seafood area (this may not be your thing).  To be able to choose between oysters on the half-shell, cracked crab claws, mussels, and shrimp was, for me, like a kid in a candy store.  And than having them grill me a couple of lobsters added to fun :).  

 

As others have also posted, the food in the various sit-down restaurants is quite good and there is a relatively large menu selection.  It is a great opportunity to expand one's horizons (even old dogs can learn a few new tricks) and we were pleased with most of the offerings (and we tried many things).  A few of the dishes were amazing (especially some of the starters).  The one caution for plain eaters is to avoid Anthology..  The fixed tasting menu (which we think stays the same until early next year) is something that would be enjoyed by many gourmands but is not for folks that prefer plain/simple food.  Chefs do not get 2 Michelin stars by preparing simple items.

 

We (and others) have talked about this in previous posts, but do not think of EJ as an extension of MSC's Yacht Club.  It is an entirely different product and would be like comparing apples to kumquats.  I think the EJ folks had that in mind when they hired staff who had never worked on MSC.

 

Hank

 

[Critically Cruising]

1 hour ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

Let's see if they're willing to change while on board....

 

I'll take the don't side of that bet.

 

 

[Critically Cruising]

5 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

The fact that just about everythig is made to order works against folks who want several items on their plate.

 

The trick is to order one thing, and instead of waiting for it to be finished, go off and order your other items.  And a third if you wish.

 

Now, this does result in multiple plates at the table, but you get your food about the same time so the temps are consistent.  And of course, you just have the hosts carry the multiple plates.

 

 

[Hlitner]

4 minutes ago, Critically Cruising said:

 

The trick is to order one thing, and instead of waiting for it to be finished, go off and order your other items.  And a third if you wish.

 

Now, this does result in multiple plates at the table, but you get your food about the same time so the temps are consistent.  And of course, you just have the hosts carry the multiple plates.

 

 

Not our idea of "luxury" cruising  As nice as Emporium is, it is still a self-service buffet.  

[uktog]

4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Not our idea of "luxury" cruising  As nice as Emporium is, it is still a self-service buffet.  

Spot on, not a place for a relaxing evening.  It’s kangaroo dining hop up hop down hop up…..

I don’t want to have to tax my brain on the plate 1 plate 2 timing logistics. If they had runners who did this for me I might be interested one night but that would be it

 

As we didn’t like Yacht Club at all Explora may well suit us just fine, if we had read it as an extension of MSC YC we would not have even booked 

Edited November 7, 2023 by uktog

[florisdekort]

13 hours ago, PrivateIdaho said:

Hmm, not our experience. We were pleased with our OTC suite. For an entry level accommodation we found it large, comfortable, plenty of storage and it was more than we expected based on the pre cruise literature. Probably one of the nicest entry level suites we’ve experienced while cruising. We were later moved to a Premier Penthouse and while very nice, we actually liked the open space in the OTC better. 
 

Perhaps the Explora experience isn’t for everyone and frankly you’d need to pay me to sail on mega MSC YC. Glad there are different choices for all. We will be going on our third EJ cruise in December, in an OTC suite. 

I think it depends on what you’re used to. They’re large compared to, for example, Azamara, but small compared to Seabourn. The bathrooms in particular are a joke compared to Seabourn, where all rooms have both a large tub and a separate shower, and dual vanities. 

[saminina]

And to summarize the past twenty posts.........everyone is different.

 

Explora has plenty to like.  Explora has plenty not so much to like.

[Dr. Cocktail]

4 hours ago, florisdekort said:

I think it depends on what you’re used to. They’re large compared to, for example, Azamara, but small compared to Seabourn. The bathrooms in particular are a joke compared to Seabourn, where all rooms have both a large tub and a separate shower, and dual vanities. 

The Seabourn Veranda Suites and E OT's are one square foot apart in size!  It's amazing how you can make a room seem bigger or smaller with design and space allocation.

 

I am hoping that E 3 and onwards address the bathrooms - the luxury segment expects a dual sink and many of their Penthouses currently have the bathroom open directly onto the bed - a very large design fail.

[Waltershipman]

8 hours ago, uktog said:

Spot on, not a place for a relaxing evening.  It’s kangaroo dining hop up hop down hop up…..

I don’t want to have to tax my brain on the plate 1 plate 2 timing logistics. If they had runners who did this for me I might be interested one night but that would be it

 

As we didn’t like Yacht Club at all Explora may well suit us just fine, if we had read it as an extension of MSC YC we would not have even booked 

We ate at Emporium one night for dinner and had a totally enjoyable fun evening. We loved the options we had attentive servers and we had the opportunity to experience something different along with 7 lobster 🦞 tails and lots of sushi.  Nothing for me to complain about. We had a great night and splendid memorable  evening.and took photos of our extravaganza

 

Maybe not for everyone but for our night there it was GREAT AND FUN

[PaulMCO]

23 hours ago, uktog said:

I dont possess 12 suitcases.  Can I still cruise on Explora? 🙂 

And I don't have 12 suitcases worth of clothes..  Can I still cruise Explora??

 

My DW does have 12 suitcases worth of shoes...

Edited November 7, 2023 by PaulMCO