Explora I - May 5th 2024 - Vancouver to LA

[Doorkey]

Hello all, I’m a little late to the party but I thought my feelings and thoughts may still be useful to passengers. As always, benefits and provisions may’ve changed since then so adjust your expectations.

 

This is the 3rd EJ that I’d booked since the brand launch. The first I embarked, due to cancellation and route changes. I paid for the cruise with my own money and didn’t receive any benefit from EJ or MSC. Despite other passengers commenting throughout the week onboard, I am not an influencer or travel agent. I am younger than the current demographic onboard but this is one of 7 MSC group cruises I will take this year, having done 8 last year in the Yacht Club. In the past 12months I’ve also been on Regent, Viking, Virgin Voyages and Royal Caribbean in the same period. I also enjoy land holidays too, being a Gold Jumeirah, Diamond Elite IHG and Diamond Hilton member. Finally, a subscription to a well-known members club. The message I’m trying to convey is that I love travel and believe I have a good baseline for what someone under 40, but also a regular cruiser wants.

 

I spent 3 days in Vancouver as part of the package before the cruise and was really impressed with the quality of the Fairmont Waterfront in both terms of location and service. The rooms were dated in terms of decor but well maintained. The one bedroom suite allocated had amazing water and mountain views through big picture windows. I also enjoyed watching E1 arrive. The linen, water pressure and Le Labo toiletries were all of excellent quality. The service at reception and breakfast was flawless. It’s not cool, but it’s a solid option for pre-cruise exploring. Walking over to the terminal was a breeze too.

 

Emabarkation was weak. I walked all the way down the dock, to be met by two women who gave me a bracelet to walk all the way back down the dock to the security entrance. I still had my carry on which I had to drag through the security and load it onto the belt like you would in an airport with hand luggage. Lots of snaking through barrier queue lines. It wasn’t hard work, but it didn’t feel luxury in any way. TSA formalities were done here, and they didn’t have any Canadian charm! All passengers then had to wait in a temporary chair area, where I found out that everyone else had their luggage taken from them and didn’t have to carry it through. The demographic was - sorry to put it so bluntly - old. They were all moaning about the way they were being told to sit and wait. Some didn’t want to sit next to other people. Quite a lot of ‘Schitts Creek’ mother style characters there, without any sign of Dayyyyfid. After around 20 mins I was asked to move to a table where you were given the cruise card and thus the key to the ship. Nicely presented in a branded envelope with a card containing your suite number. I booked and received an OT1, I spend little time in the cabin so felt no need to upgrade. 
 

I was then able to board right away, entering into the lobby area; having battled with my checked luggage up the gangways. The quality and feeling of the ship on embarkation is stunning. A glass of champagne, I’ll come back to the brand later, was provided. They did try to talk you into some blue coloured one, but that’s very old school cruise cocktail vibe and I avoided. You can then have your luggage tagged and sent to your suite. 
 

Compared to their sister company, in Yacht Club, the embarkation feels much less special. No drinks in the check in area, no assistance with luggage, no one to show you to your suite and no representative to explain the benefits or ship to you. This is because rather than being one of 100-200 in Yacht Club you’re one of 600-900. I am unsure if the residence level suites receive a higher level of embarkation experience. 
 

My experience with EJ was more akin to Royal Caribbean and Viking where you are left to discover for yourself. Regent, MSC and Virgin Voyages had more representation to help. You do have a paper newsletter to assist you, however. 
 

The only option for embarkation lunch is the buffet. I’m going to say it, probably the best buffet that I’ve been to, but it’s still not comparable to MSC where you have the Yacht Club restaurant or the deck buffet. There is something quite special about an attentive, served first lunch onboard. The buffet was easy to find a seat, the pasta/pizza/bread of incredible standard and the service from the staff was really great. The food stations outside of the aforementioned items do seem a little sparsely provisioned though. I found the cheese selection poor compared to MSC and Regent. The sushi was of excellent quality, but the menu static on a day to day basis. 
 

From the first lunch, the ship struggled with provisions. There was a complete drought to Coke Zero, and even hard to get hold of Diet Coke. It was semi-annoying to ask for Coke Zero and be automatically substituted for regular coke or Diet Coke without consultation - I’m not sure they’d do it with any other drink. I am not a massive drinker, but I’d rather quality over quantity. Hence I only drank soft drinks, water or champagne in most of the venues. The low end of the wines on offer by the glass was similar to MSC but a country-mile away from Regent. This is something they really need to work on, but the passenger mix seemed to prefer cocktails. The champagne substitution from Moet to Mercier was actually a benefit to me, I prefer the tarte edge and feel the bubble profile is less intense. They are a similar price point, just Mercier produce in far, far less quantity. I’d, of course, rather drink LPGS or DP all day but at the price point of the cruise I feel it’s very acceptable.

 

After lunch I explored the ship and went to find my cabin/suite. Mine was on the 7th deck next to the lift lobby and, interestingly, behind a door. This meant it was super quiet but also when someone came to deliver something they’d end up having to call to say they were outside. The ambiance of the suite is amazing, it feels a lovely space for the price point and some of the features an evolution from the Yacht Club. The dressing area with Dyson hair dryer is a great feature and feels premium. The bed is lovely, without a dip in the middle as it’s one mattress rather than the two singles on normal cruise lines. The linens are of good quality, but the pillows really let them down. There is only one option and this is a synthetic down in what can only be described as a balloon, full of air and then deflates into a flat hard ledge during the night - especially with someone like me with a huge head, both physically and metaphorically.

 

The quality of the fixtures is poor, quite a few lumps and chunks out of the carpentry already. The carpet is light grey, which shows a lot of stains. However, it still feels a premium space and the art, objects and amenities make this feel so. I didn’t take advantage of the two bottles of spirits, nor did I end up drinking the champagne. It was all beautifully presented. 
 

My ‘host’, or let’s just call them cabin steward as that’s exactly what they are - no more/less, was amazing. Polite and kept the place so clean. It was really awkward to see him try to read a script full of unnatural words and buzz that EJ had given him. I’d rather him relax and just do his job, rather than struggle with scripts. 
 

The balcony was a great space, large (for this level of suite) and great furniture. It was kept free of salt and cleaned daily. The bathroom on the surface also looked good, not Regent level of luxury or the scale of Virgin Voyages but a generous shower space. The quality of the toiletries (blended for EJ from Culti) was excellent and kept well topped up. The heated floor was as unnecessary for me, I’ve never felt the floor chilly on a cruise as you’ve always got another cabin or area below. Unfortunately, the shower pressure and temperature was really low in this cabin. It would be almost too weak to use the rainfall shower head and the temperature went from cold to hot all the time without touching the dial. This took three days to resolve, and ended up with a suite move rather than fixing the problem. 
 

The second suite allocated was an Ocean Penthouse which allowed for an extended lounge area and bedroom that could be divided off using sliding doors. The balcony was also much wider. The bathroom was the same, but the pressure and temperature much better. It was disappointing that there was some Hawaiian fish paste left in the fridge and the housekeeping much sloppier here. I did not see the host for this suite but it was serviced twice daily.

 

Overall, the suites are well designed and are at an expected level for EJ. I do think the quality or consistency of service needs focus. 
 

In terms of dining, this is also an area which is really inconsistent. Starting with the excellent, Sakura was incredible. I visited three times in 6 nights. The attention to detail, the personal level of warmth delivered by the staff and the flavour of the food was excellent. I ate sushi and Asian inspired dishes from on and off the menu. Nothing was too much trouble and the chef appeared to thrive from making a special experience. The decor, location and wine list is also special. Enjoying an Opus 1 overlooking a sunset with floor to ceiling windows and views over the stern infinity pool was a special moment. Complimented by an amazing cut of beef with well seasoned sauce. This is the level of cuisine and service that is a significant upgrade from mass-market and similar to land based luxury resorts.

 

In terms of quality, Marble & Co is up next. The service was also excellent here. Excellent cuts of beef, good selection on the menu and a sommelier, just like Sakura, to assist with wine selection. The service whilst efficient was less personal here, but still efficient but lots of different staff members bring your individual dishes. The wines I selected were also not available, but the sommelier went out of their way to obtain multiple alternatives from the cellar. A quick word here; the premium wines by the bottle are exorbitantly expensive and I would’ve probably thought twice about indulging had I not had an incredible amount of onboard credit. Another negative is that Marble doesn’t have any view other than internally into a loft lobby. The restaurant is beautifully decorated to create a warm ambiance though. 
 

The other restaurants, in my opinion, are terrible and no way near a level that should be on a mass-market line. Coastal Kitchen (the suite restaurant on Royal) completely wiped the floor with service, variety and quality of produce of both Fil Rouge and Med Yacht Club. Again, the design of the restaurants is very high end and beautiful. Yacht Club was my first night and the service was so fragmented, the menu quite limited for

multiple nights and the food of average quality. They declined to provide me with premium drinks and the meal took 2.5 hours from start to finish, with the starter coming out within 15mins and then long waits with finished plates.

 

I normally always prefer meals in service restaurants, but actually ended up eating in the buffet on most occasions. This feeling began with breakfast on the first morning; I walked out after 55mins having not been served any of my order. The system was down, multiple untrained staff running around like headless chickens, and food didn’t come out in spite of other tables eating around me. A manager did flag me down on my way out, which began a bit of an awkward feeling. He asked me to return that night to ‘receive the best service I’d ever had’. I accepted the apology and returned. The service took 3 hours, my steak was burnt and tough, they forgot my starter and dessert was stuck to the plate. The manager came to schmooze me, and we had chats around his past on P&O UK - I sniggered and thought this explained the service/quality levels - but wasn’t listening to me and was distracted by his phone. As a result of this he went to his mass-market service recovery of sending champagne and strawberries to the suite. This was a thoughtful gesture but the champagne got added to the line of the others and the strawberries left.

 

From that moment, I avoided Fil Rouge and Yacht Club. I ate in the buffet for breakfast and lunch, then the specialities for dinner. Outside of the main meals, the coffee shop offered fantastic quality coffee and a good selections of snacks. I had one order of room service which was delivered, hot, of good quality and the selection was impressive - this is the level expected of EJ. If you want to eat at non-standard times then snacks in Cafe Crema or room service. The hours of operation of the buffet are much more

limited than a mass market cruise line. 
 

The afternoon tea event in the forward lounge is a lovely affair. However the lack of service etiquette is really apparent here. A couple of trolleys being bashed about and then informal, to the point of sloppy, service happens. Tea is not loose leaf and bagged. A tiered stand and proper tea pots with loose leaf should be implemented. The location is stunning and it’s something easily rectified. The quality of the cakes and pastries were good, and lovely to see clotted cream rather than just whipped.

 

The other public areas are stunning. This is especially true with the outdoor areas. The tiered back pool areas are so well laid out. I’m unsure why people struggle to find shade, there are wings and covered areas everywhere. Sitting in the hot tubs watching whales and dolphins was a particular memorable moment of the cruise. Watching the sea lions in San Fran from the infinity pool on a beautiful public lounger with attentive pool bar service was also a beautiful moment. The outdoor areas of the buffet are also really nicely designed and flow down the pool, all laid with metal cutlery and linen napkins.

 

Entertainment; gosh what a divisive topic. I have no interest in watching shows. I avoid at all costs the ‘broadway style’ shows on cruise lines. I want to sit in a bar with a high quality drink, with a beautiful view or background music. Let that be jazz or funk. There is nothing more than I like than having a record player in a lounge to listen to. I do not want bingo, I don’t want a quiz, I don’t want terrible salsa music and that’s what my friendship group want also. I especially do not understand the choir. One morning in the forward lounge there were groups of people watching the sea go by reading, chatting and enjoying their vacation. A group of people then arrive to practice what might be described as ‘singing’, this resulted in everyone other than the choir leaving. What an old fashioned, slap in the face to their target market. I couldn’t honestly believe this was an organised activity.

 

Talking of organised activities, this is led by a entertainments manager, who then has to translate their job role each time they speak to cruise director. A lovely, but a bit one dimensional, guy who tries to balance an upper edge role with the needs of the stalwart cruisers for traditional entertainment. Ditch the Explora speak role nonsense and try and buck the trend of cringeworthy entertainment.

 

Onboard shopping was great, some high end merchandise and alternative brands. Staff in the shops were helpful and non-intrusive. The other high end boutiques really add a good ambiance. I thought the prices were reasonable pricing for the level of the brand. I bought an Explora North Sails jacket which is around €400 and retailed for $500 on their website. This obviously came from the pile of OBC I had. There aren’t many opportunities for spending small amounts of OBC; probably €80 is the lowest priced item (a diffuser) other than Swiss chocolate.

 

Disembarkation was excellent, although you are asked to leave your suite by 8am, I much prefer the Virgin Voyages 10am. Makes for a much more relaxing last day. Walked off and the bags were in the terminal waiting. As we’d already done immigration in Canada, it was such a breeze.

 

I’ve booked another ‘voyage’ for next year but came away with mixed feelings; a high quality product with mixed service. I’m interested what happens with the product. I hope you have an enjoyable cruise. 

[Sololux]

Thank you for taking time out to provide your review.  I’m hoping to book on EJ soon but am currently constrained due to family commitments.  I’m trying to get a good insight in what does and what doesn’t work well so that I have realistic expectations, nothing like doing plenty of homework!  
My last cruise was 10 years ago and although we took lots of cruises we only booked on Silversea and Seadream cruise lines, sometime two or three a year.  It sounds like a lot has changed in the intervening period so it’s like looking at cuise options for the first time.  
As I’ll be the solo person on the cruise this time, while OH is looking after cats and chickens at home, I’m looking very carefully at what the main players are offering and what people say they are actually delivering.

[Sthrngary]

Bravo on your opening history: 

 

@Doorkey and other interested parties. Love your setup with history @Doorkey.  Some of the brands you have traveled are "Ultra-Luxury", with a much higher price point.  Yet, if a new brand want to call themselves "Luxury", and or their marketing department want to claim "they will change the luxury landscape", there is an expectation. 

 

One can clearly see that the EJ brand is attempting to do the right things.  Just as Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection attempted to do the right things in their first year.  There are also obviously growing pains many of which you kindly and professionally pointed out.  Some will be corrected in the future, others like less then the best quality aspect of the stateroom will be present until a renovation way down the road. I am quite sure the Explora II ship will have some changes based on Explora I. 

 

The reality of your first ship in a new brand is simple. One ship, one order of everything from fuel to food to labor, knowing how the costs will breakdown to create a desired profit margin or future profit margin is happening currently.  I can tell this with the simple change in champagne brand/quality since the first sailing.  Normal for a start up who have very few ships for their first two years.  

 

Question: Now why are reviews and comparisons like yours so VERY important to me, other cruiser thinking about a new brand, and CruiseCritic.com?  

 

Answer: It allows ALL future cruisers on EJ to set "Realistic Expectations".  The current investment of any OS series stateroom is on a special sale.  That sale seems to be for three (3) reasons: 1) To fill the ship; 2) To gain Ultra-Luxury and Luxury Brand cruisers to consider booking this new entry to the Luxury segment.  3) To also gain those like you and I who also enjoy the NCL Haven, MSC Yacht Club and the Celebrity Retreat to compare, contrast and book if only for the current (not future) price point which is in most cases less then the three choice I just listed for the same type of cruise.  I call the a "New Luxury Brand Test Drive".

 

The Art of Realistic Expectations: What veteran cruises have learned over time, don't pay one bit of attention to the cruise brands marketing department.  The "Over Promise and Under Deliver" strategy is insulting.  Instead, embrace reviews like yours and make strategy decisions when you cruise happens.  Avoid some things, embraces other things and test things that other told you were less then great to see if the brand is doing "Continuous Improvement".  Your review does just that and from my standpoint, I say thank you.  Much needed and it was also fair and  balanced which is a credit to YOU.

 

Closing:  It took the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection over a year to almost get their act together.  As current reviews show, they are 90% there.  It will take EJ that plus some more time to do the same. While it is happening, we can get a price break knowing just like a soft opening with a new restaurant, things are not quite there yet. If EJ, make changes throughout the process, they will be a great brand.  If not, they will be looking to cut costs and offer themselves to the mass market as a small ship alternative.  Just my humble crystal ball.  I am still booked for February of 2025.

 

"Cruise well and enjoy every moment." 

[Noggins]

A very interesting read, Doorkey, on several counts.

Firstly it is obvious you have taken considerable time and effort to think through your experiences, order your thoughts and get them presented here for us to read. It takes effort - considerable effort (unless perhaps you are a professional writer in which case it might just flow out of your 'pen'!) so thank you.

To read a review from someone who is more obviously EJ's new target market than most of us who have written accounts / reviews is also fascinating. I had to chuckle at your reference to 'old' fellow passengers. I have been making similar comments for years - and studiously avoid looking in any mirrors. In your case no doubt the comment was fully justified!

It's clear you had some hits and some catastophries. We certainly never experienced anything as bad as your bad - but there again we would have drunk the champagne..... 

As folks often say, no-one is perfect but it is the process of recovery from a service 'incident' that marks out the best from the also-ran. In your experience it is clear EJ have a way to go in crew training. We thought that - but how to create a team that truly owns their area of responsibility - AND knows where the bar is and how to clear it with inches to space is tricky - oh so tricky.

 

Thanks for that first post - looking forward to seeing more as time goes by.

 

Adrian

  

[cruisingxpert]

@Doorkey  I resemble that remark about "old people" with no Dayyyyfid".  Hope you weren't looking at me because I was on that cruise😂 

I agree with most of your comments except I enjoyed Fils Rouge.  I didn't enjoy Marble as much except for the fingerling potato appetizer.  You must have been seated on the other side beside there were quite a few windows looking out to the ocean where we were seated.

Cabin Steward is kind.  Our steward took our champagne from the cabin without mentioning it.  When we called him to ask where it was, he said he was keeping it cold and returned it.  The note on our desk first day asking what liquor or wine was gone the second day- he never asked us if we wanted any wine or alcohol for the cabin.  We never mentioned it to him because we didn't want any but we did notice it had gone.

We asked where he was from when we first met and he said Dubai and said he wished he was back there.

As far as stores onboard, I wish there was at least one that had more moderate priced items.

 

Great read.

Edited June 23 by cruisingxpert
gr

[2SailingNomads]

EJ has a lot of potential if they can decide what they want to be.  Crappy included wines, limited spirits do not match the luxury lines of Regent, Crystal, Seabourn, Scenic, etc.  Unusable web site, uneven service at restaurants, exorbitant prices on revenue wines, most crew have never worked on a ship before so do not understand they have to deal with the same people for days or weeks.

It has been said about great cruise lines it's not the hardware (the physical ship) but rather the software (crew and experience).  EJ has the hardware now need the software and attitude adjustment to be a great product.