Explora 2 vs Crystal Serenity

[magnus1977]

Anyone have any thoughts of Explora vs Crystal? I will do a 7 night solo cruise in november/december on either Explora 2 or Crystal Serenity in the Caribbean. Solo outside cabin on Crystal and ocean terrace suite on Explora. $3500 Crystal and $5.000 Explora, including $400 on board credit for Explora. Any recommendations? 

[mike@sea]

Hey Magnus, without knowing you, your age, your interests, experience , what you are looking for , no-one should answer that question. 

Well, of course with the exception of the Crystal cheerleaders and the Explora haters on this board. And believe it or not, there are a few. Not sure, why they are on this board, but they are… 

 

I just got off Explora today, after 17 exceptional and relaxing days. I traveled solo and had the best of times. I would and will go back in a heartbeat. I am in a Miami hotel now, waiting for my flight back home tomorrow. I really really miss the ship and especially the staff and wish I was still on the ship. In all my travels and cruises, the Explora staff was probably the best. Very personal and very attentive. You as passenger will be the center of attention, if you let them. Just be open and friendly, and they will call you by name on day 2 and bend over backwards. 
 

I did not have a boring minute in 17 days on the ship , but in the end it all comes down to you and your expectations. 
 

So do your homework and decide what’s best for you and your expectations. Explora will for sure further develop out the very few kinks onboard. I believe that Explora 2 will be identical to Explora 1, having some minor design issues with one pool at the front an in regards to some GT Suites, whose balcony tends to get the occasional sprinkle from above. Other than that I did not detect any issues worth mentioning. 
Others might disagree, but the majority if not all passengers on my cruise loved every minute. 
 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

@mike@sea I'm glad you enjoyed your Explora cruise, but – having read every post on this forum and remembering the history of this new cruise line, I think you should have another perspective on those who are 'dissing'.  Many were Crystal orphans [remember the timeline with Crystal's bankruptcy and Explora's creation] hoping for a new luxury line that would be similar to Crystal – and the early announcements didn't give any reason to doubt that.  But between the first announcements and the first cruise reports a lot of things changed!  A lot of early promises were broken.  And then Crystal came back, the same and better!  So Explora's job now is to find that new-to-cruising audience they seem to be bent on catering to.  Maybe you are that audience [or at least open to their differences.]  But have a little empathy for those of us who have been cruising for decades and know what we like – and thought that Explora was promising to deliver it.

[Lord Haw Haw]

Hello Magnus, both are excellent and regardless of the line you chose I’m sure you will have a wonderful time. If you are thinking about a Caribbean cruise and enjoy outdoor space, multiple pools, a younger demographic and European flavour maybe Explora would suit you, however I’m not sure I could justify paying a premium over Crystal.

 

[Stickman1990]

4 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

…having read every post on this forum and remembering the history of this new cruise line, ….And then Crystal came back, the same and better!  So Explora's job now is to find that new-to-cruising audience they seem to be bent on catering to

Glad you have faith in the posters optinions on here as I understand you haven’t actually sailed on new Crystal or Explora. I have so can talk from first hand experience - are you planning on doing so or will you rely on others opinions?

What do you base the “Crystal came back, the same and better!” comment on? Some won’t agree with that 

 

But the big issue is what’s important to those cruising these lines - and what they deliver. Of course how people judge restaurants and service vary markedly - so unless you know that person and their tastes match up with yours then you are relying on others opinion

 

You've bought up how Explora failed to deliver on some things - while not the same company let’s not forget that the old Crystal cost many cruisers a lot of money

Edited March 19 by Stickman1990

[Stickman1990]

I suggest you check out this current thread as well for some info - although sadly “just the facts” in the title closest really reflect the content 

 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

40 minutes ago, Stickman1990 said:

Glad you have faith in the posters optinions on here as I understand you haven’t actually sailed on new Crystal or Explora. I have so can talk from first hand experience - are you planning on doing so or will you rely on others opinions?

I am indeed planning to sail on new Crystal, but not Explora – in both cases because of the opinions on Cruise Critic from posters whose judgment I have come to trust.  The negatives about Crystal seem minor compared to the positives [IMO and based on the things we value in a cruise], while the negatives about Explora far outweigh the positives [again, for what we are looking for].

 

Keep in mind that my comment was in answer to mike@sea's snipe at "the Crystal cheerleaders and the Explora haters on this board", which I consider unfair.

 

In any case, I hope you continue to enjoy Explora as I hope to enjoy Crystal.

[Stickman1990]

10 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

In any case, I hope you continue to enjoy Explora as I hope to enjoy Crystal.

For the avoidance of doubt we definitely plan to cruise on both Crystal and Explora - both are great options and provide us with different cruise experiences 

[mike@sea]

12 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

@mike@sea I'm glad you enjoyed your Explora cruise, but – having read every post on this forum and remembering the history of this new cruise line, I think you should have another perspective on those who are 'dissing'.  Many were Crystal orphans [remember the timeline with Crystal's bankruptcy and Explora's creation] hoping for a new luxury line that would be similar to Crystal – and the early announcements didn't give any reason to doubt that.  But between the first announcements and the first cruise reports a lot of things changed!  A lot of early promises were broken.  And then Crystal came back, the same and better!  So Explora's job now is to find that new-to-cruising audience they seem to be bent on catering to.  Maybe you are that audience [or at least open to their differences.]  But have a little empathy for those of us who have been cruising for decades and know what we like – and thought that Explora was promising to deliver it.

With all due respect, I am not sure , why you even „host“ this board, if all you can comment on is Crystal this and Crystal that. You have not stepped foot on Explora 1 to my knowledge , yet you leave your comments , all in favor of Crystal. I think you should not comment at all, unless you have been on both. And even then, maybe think about passing the Explora board on to someone else, who is less biased. 
just my two cents. Again, with all respect. 

[Wheelhouse]

I agree with this one hundred percent and have stated it in the past.  

[cruise_loverinlaval]

Here are my suggestions to help you select your voyage.

First, 7 days cruise is quite short, you should go for 9-10-12 days cruise.

Second, Islands visited should influence your choice.  If you have never been to St-Bart, you should include it.

Third, I would select the less expensive one to try / experiment a new cruise line.

 

enjoy cruising!

[Whipsnade]

I spent 30 days on Explora in Sept and am now on board Symphony for 60 days. So perhaps I have some credibility on this. 
if you are under 55 you might prefer Explora. Younger crowd. Incredible gym and spa and biggest pool on the ocean. 
If you are over 60 Crystal would be a choice. More sedate. A little dressier crowd. 
Those are general comments. Now some specifics.
Cuisine. No ship can compare with Crystal. Waterside continually changes menu. Presentation is magnificent. Service cannot be beat.
Explora has same menus every day. Service can be spotty as you may have six waiters and none know what the last has done. They are nice enough but no ship experience. Most hired from hotels in Dubai. Many Crystal waitstaff have been with them for 20 years. 
Entertainment on Explora pretty much non existent. Crystal has mostly good stock production shows and an occasional singer or comedian. 
Explora has player pianos. Crystal has live pianists. 
Crystal has actual movie theaters. Explora shows movies every now and then around the pool. 
Then there is price. If both were equal I would choose Crystal. If Explora is more expensive I would and did walk. We had three Explora cruises booked and canceled in favor of Crystal st 35% less. 
As far as losing $$ from old Crystal and blaming new Crystal I just don’t get it. The companies are in no way related. And through the EI program and credit card companies and bankruptcy trustee no one needed to lose a dime. We didn’t. And we had $120K on the line.  Very happy with Crystal and have ten more cruises booked over the next year. 

[Wheelhouse]

"Entertainment on Explora pretty much non existent."   No, the entertainment has vastly improved if you are following the various threads

 

"Explora has player pianos."  No.  Explora has some very good pianists.

 

"If you are over 60 Crystal would be a choice. More sedate. A little dressier crowd."  -- Not everyone over 60 wants to dress up.  My 76 year old cousin does 10 cruises a year (she likes Viking's expedition ships)  and wouldn't consider a cruise necessitating fancy attire. 

 

Explora's entry level staterooms are brand new and spacious, all with verandas.  Never been on Crystal, but I understand for a comparable price you get a small inside room.

 

"Crystal has actual movie theaters. Explora shows movies every now and then around the pool." Who goes on cruises nowadays to watch movies?  I can stream any movie whenever I want in my home theater. 

 

It's important to note that Explora is a brand new line and is constantly evolving.

[frankhi]

If you like small cabins on old ships there's really no contest.

[reposado]

They are both excellent products. I have a strong preference for new, shiny and modern settings. Explora II is brand new ship vs one over 20 years old it's a no brainer for me. 

 

However if you dont mind the older layout Im not sure if a premium of $1500 would be worth it. 

Edited March 21 by reposado

[nancygp]

2 hours ago, Wheelhouse said:

Never been on Crystal, but I understand for a comparable price you get a small inside room.

Crystal doesn’t have inside cabins

 

nancy

[Wheelhouse]

14 minutes ago, nancygp said:

Crystal doesn’t have inside cabins

 

nancy

You are correct, my mistake.   They are oceanview (no balcony) at 215 sq ft.   The ones I looked at are priced higher per diem than the OTs (377 sq ft including the balcony) that I have booked on Explora.  

[Whipsnade]

3 hours ago, Wheelhouse said:

"Entertainment on Explora pretty much non existent."   No, the entertainment has vastly improved if you are following the various threads

 

"Explora has player pianos."  No.  Explora has some very good pianists.

 

"If you are over 60 Crystal would be a choice. More sedate. A little dressier crowd."  -- Not everyone over 60 wants to dress up.  My 76 year old cousin does 10 cruises a year (she likes Viking's expedition ships)  and wouldn't consider a cruise necessitating fancy attire. 

 

Explora's entry level staterooms are brand new and spacious, all with verandas.  Never been on Crystal, but I understand for a comparable price you get a small inside room.

 

"Crystal has actual movie theaters. Explora shows movies every now and then around the pool." Who goes on cruises nowadays to watch movies?  I can stream any movie whenever I want in my home theater. 

 

It's important to note that Explora is a brand new line and is constantly evolving.

Entertainment on Explora lackluster at best. A few tired singers no one heard of reading lyrics from a computer screen. 
Yes, Explora DOES have player pianos which on occasion are played by a human. 
I was being kind about Crystal “being a little dressier”. What I meant was you will not see jeans or baseball caps in Waterside in the evening which is not the case on Explora. Got it?
Since you have never been on Crystal you wouldn’t know that they doubled the size of most cabins. They did retain a few small outside small cabins which are offered to single travelers at very reasonable prices and they usually get snapped up. BTW there are not and never have been inside cabins on Crystal. 
Who goes to movies?  Theatres are frequently quarter full for matinees and half full in the evening. 
Glad to hear Explora is “constantly evolving”. Perhaps they could move a little quicker if they got their noses out of the clouds. In the meantime they are overpriced and under passengered. That’s why this supposed “luxury” venture has been forced to offer 40% discounts within six months of inaugural. 

[nancygp]

32 minutes ago, Whipsnade said:

BTW there are not and never have been inside cabins on Crystal. 

The former Crystal Harmony had some inside cabins.

 

nancy

 

 

[mike@sea]

1 hour ago, Whipsnade said:

Entertainment on Explora lackluster at best. A few tired singers no one heard of reading lyrics from a computer screen. 
Yes, Explora DOES have player pianos which on occasion are played by a human. 
I was being kind about Crystal “being a little dressier”. What I meant was you will not see jeans or baseball caps in Waterside in the evening which is not the case on Explora. Got it?
Since you have never been on Crystal you wouldn’t know that they doubled the size of most cabins. They did retain a few small outside small cabins which are offered to single travelers at very reasonable prices and they usually get snapped up. BTW there are not and never have been inside cabins on Crystal. 
Who goes to movies?  Theatres are frequently quarter full for matinees and half full in the evening. 
Glad to hear Explora is “constantly evolving”. Perhaps they could move a little quicker if they got their noses out of the clouds. In the meantime they are overpriced and under passengered. That’s why this supposed “luxury” venture has been forced to offer 40% discounts within six months of inaugural. 

When were you last on Explora ? How can you say all these things, when none of what you say reflects the actual experience on Explora ! 

Please accept that Explora has evolved ever since you sailed. Period. The staff by the way are excellent. Why would you think that someone who worked at a hotel in Dubai is not qualified enough? And besides, only some of the staff have not worked on ships before. Some even worked on Crystal before. But do not go back, because they have no opportunity to grow on Crystal. On Explora they do.  

[CJANDH]

2 hours ago, Whipsnade said:

Entertainment on Explora lackluster at best. A few tired singers no one heard of reading lyrics from a computer screen. 
Yes, Explora DOES have player pianos which on occasion are played by a human.

That might have been true earlier in Explora's short history. But it is totally wrong now. I have just come off Explora I and can confirm that the pianos were played each evening in two locations by very talented artists. The "few tired singers" have been replaced by two extremely talented singers and a very good in-house band No sign of reading computer screens.

 

While I understand that you were disappointed by your cruise some months ago, please accept that the entertainment on Explora now is as good as on most small luxury ships.

[Stickman1990]

1 hour ago, mike@sea said:

Please accept that Explora has evolved ever since you sailed. Period. The staff by the way are excellent. 

I was on Explora at the same time (or at least part of it) as Whipsnade and had a great experience clearly very different to his 

 

I’m over the inaccurate claims about Explora v Crystal so will take a minute to rebut some of them 

 

1. Piano - the claim there are no live pianists on board Explora is absurd - if they never heard Natalia play then they must have not been to many of the lounges on Explora. She is an excellent pianist who was the equal or better of any I’ve heard on Crystal 

 

2. Entertainers - while true they don’t have the ensemble that Crystal have they do have live singers and band and the guest entertainers were of a similar standard as Crystal in fact one on our cruise was an artist Crystal has had several times, Rachel York. Guest entertainers are rarely exclusive to one line - we’ve seen many of the same ones across multiple luxury lines. Entertainment is very subjective - for us it was fine on both and I enjoyed some new material as having seen the production shows on Crystal many times over the years I’m ready for something new 

 

3. Enrichment - There were interesting speakers and programmes on Explora, some very similar to Crystal and equally interesting 

 

4. Dress - It’s just the same as Crystal without some of the formality eg formal nights - just as tidy as I’ve seen on Crystal over the years. Will there be exceptions from time to time, of course just as you will find on every line. I don’t understand the angst that dress violations seem to cause some - what impact does someone have on you that doesn’t comply? Just judge if you must but then get on and enjoy your cruise. I see Silversea made changes to their formal dress code yesterday - the trend is without doubt to less formal attire - no that doesn’t mean shorts and flip flops after 6pm - but it does mean no jackets and ties as mandatory requirements 

 

5. Food - on this one Whipsnade and I are a thousand miles apart - we loved the dining options and delivery in terms of quality on Explora - and rate it very highly. This constant commentary about menus not changing is strange - let’s not forget that on Crystal the menus in Umi Uma, Tastes and Osteria don’t change either (although Osteria does seem to change sometimes at the moment as they try and find dishes that suit guests) - sure Waterside changes and is very good - but Fil Rouge and Med provide a wide range of options between them and The Emporium is in another class again over Crystals marketplace - to be fair they’re different styles and the food in both is good but you don’t get French Oysters and Lobsters or Filet steak and Foie Gras in Marketplace. We are very happy with both lines offerings and have favourites on both 

 

6. Marketplace - both provide great service across the ship - sure Crystal have some crew who have been on that line for many many years, a new line can’t match that but we were very happy with the quality and standards of the Explora crew during our cruise and some even got to know our names but I’m not sure I’d rate service on that alone 

7. Accomodation - with entry level cabins that are 50% larger than Crystals and very well appointed we were very happy. You would need to take an Aquamarine suite on Crystal to get an OT1 level cabin equivalent. I can’t comment on the higher categories except to say that physically they’re lovely on both lines and you get what you pay for 

 

8. Loadings - both lines are sailing well below capacity (and that’s being kind) - I hear numbers re increasing on Crystal when the ships start Alaska and Med seasons over summer and I guess time will tell when Explora returns to the Med. the big challenge for all luxury lines is capturing new customers to expand their base - for Explora I think the challenge is itineraries more than anything (relatively easy to solve with more ships coming online) while for Crystal it’s evolving to attract a new customer who I’m not sure will find the older music and dancing etc to their tastes. Changing that and retaining the fiercely loyal customer base is going to be a challenge. Plus of course Crystal needs to deliver those 4 new ships that have been announced and just when that will happen remains unclear. Both need to understand who they are targeting and then make sure the onboard offering aligns to what they are selling and that it’s delivered to the quality that new luxury cruises are expecting. Of course each line will be different - if they weren’t I’d be amazed as what would then be the point of differentiation? Price? - well that’s a race to the bottom in a commoditised market. So cruisers will make choices based on those differences 

 

9. Whipsnade seems surprised there’d be an up to 40% off sale at Black Friday on Explora - really? What lines don’t have a sale? Some are in constant sale mode eg Seabourn. Some are tightening up on changing bookings with some fare types forfeiting large percentages of deposits or in some cases full payments. As always know what you’re signing up for and expect it to be enforced 

 

As I’ve said several times already we’re very happy on both lines and will have different cruising experiences on both - both equally as good for us. I simply don’t subscribe to the theory that one line is so profoundly better than all others that one wouldn’t sail on certain others given the right circumstances (and price etc) 

[Waltershipman]

5 hours ago, mike@sea said:

When were you last on Explora ? How can you say all these things, when none of what you say reflects the actual experience on Explora ! 

Please accept that Explora has evolved ever since you sailed. Period. The staff by the way are excellent. Why would you think that someone who worked at a hotel in Dubai is not qualified enough? And besides, only some of the staff have not worked on ships before. Some even worked on Crystal before. But do not go back, because they have no opportunity to grow on Crystal. On Explora they do.  

Many wait staff on EJ came from Oceania 

[crickette]

For us, one key difference is the ship clientele.  EJ has many more travel agents and influencers than Crystal.  Someone that is cruising for business reasons has a totally different persona than someone who is travelling for pure pleasure, and they present themselves differently.  They interact with fellow passengers and crew differently.  Crew and officers respond to them differently.  There are many nuances, and more conspicuous differences, and it is especially noticeable when they are onboard for one segment and we are onboard for 2 or more segments.  Yes, Crystal has brought onboard agents and influencers (I remember one who went by the name of "blonde") but not in the numbers that EJ has seen in its first year.

[Whipsnade]

8 hours ago, mike@sea said:

When were you last on Explora ? How can you say all these things, when none of what you say reflects the actual experience on Explora ! 

Please accept that Explora has evolved ever since you sailed. Period. The staff by the way are excellent. Why would you think that someone who worked at a hotel in Dubai is not qualified enough? And besides, only some of the staff have not worked on ships before. Some even worked on Crystal before. But do not go back, because they have no opportunity to grow on Crystal. On Explora they do.  

We spent the month of Sept on the ship. And part of August. 
what do you mean by “evolved”?