Explorer - 9 nts Eastern Caribbean - 1st Timers - May06

[bubbles30]

Hi folks - hope you like this one - its very very long - but it was the only way to give a true review!

 

Well, because this was our first time in the USA, we decided to stop over in New York for a few days prior to cruise. Was worth every penny!! Had a ball!! Loved the ‘City that never sleeps’ and wished we had longer to explore it. Would definitely not want to live there, far tooooo big!!!!! BUT it was brill for a short stay and the prices are fab compared to ours in little old Northern Ireland.

Left New York on a very, very, very wet morning (actually had to buy a brolly!) and headed to the port of Bayonne. Was pretty dismal, not much happening at it, and there was certainly no brass bands playing! However – who cares – we couldn’t wait to get on the ship!

First impressions – as has been said loads of times before – AWESOME!! The size of the ship is amazing, and it does pose the question – how the hell does it float??

We got to the port at about 11.30am but because of the weather situation there was a delay in boarding. Our tickets told us not to be at the port before 2pm, but we were glad we got there early as there were loads of other people doing the same thing! We were given a number when checking in, and were on board the ship by 1pm – very straight forward and easy to do.

Once on the ship we didn’t know where to go first as there was so much to see. Because of the delay the rooms weren’t ready, and you could only access decks 5 and 11 ~ (5 is the Promenade deck and 11 was the pool deck.) We had previously been chatting to folk on the cruise critic website and had arranged to meet them at the pool bar at 3pm. HOWEVER – my nerves set in and we couldn’t find the courage to go!! We sat at the side lines till there was a generous amount of folk there before we said our hellos!! OHHH what cowards we are!!!

When we met the cruise critic brigade our party really started. We went to deck 12 for sail off and had the pleasure of meeting George from Brooklyn (Sorry if I got that wrong George) who enlightened us with information regarding the sights we could see. Full of info he was! It was fab sailing past the Statue of Liberty – and if you go to New York pre sail – don’t worry if you don’t see the Statue – you get a great view from the ship.

NOTE: 5 weeks before our cruise I checked the prices online and discovered that the balcony rooms were cheaper than the inside cabin we had booked. (We recieved a refund of £120 pounds sterling.) Naturally we changed to a balcony and can honestly say we will never go to an inside room. To be able to see where you are going and smell the sea air is amazing!

THE SHIP

We were in balcony room 8378 – which was the very last cabin at the back of the ship. We loved it! There was never any noise from anything! The cabin had all necessary amenities, shower, hairdryer, storage, fridge etc. (Feel free to ask questions)

When we went for dinner on the first evening we were quite nervous as we had chosen a large table and discovered there were 9 people in total at ours. The others all knew each other – so at first we felt out of place. This didn’t last long! They were all brilliant and made us feel like part of their group. They were all New Yorkers (Not they would tell you that as they said they were from New Jersey or Brooklyn or Manhattan etc etc etc!) Anywhere but New York! J Sorry u guys!!

I have to say each evening was great, entertaining, fun and we had a ball!

The dining hall was amazing – great chandeliers and fantastic table settings. Our waiter was called Wendell and he was superb – could sing any reggae song you named! Give him a great big hello if you meet him!

FOOD

Food was out of this world – we never had a poor meal. Two evenings we tried something different from what we would normally and weren’t that keen on it – but Wendell had it changed for us immediately. If you want to try something different – order two or three selections! Honestly - this is never a problem.

DRINK

We drank mostly at the Aquarium bar or Schooners. We had the unfortunate experience of meeting like minded folk who take a few bevy’s!! Have to say – none of us ever refused a drink! Oops forgot about one – he was a complete lightweight and could only drink every other night! The price of drink was around $4.00 (£2.40) and $5.50 (£3.00) dollars for a vodka and coke – BUT remember! These drinks are not measured and are very strong drinks!

Bartenders appear all day long with cocktails and I have to admit they are pretty tasty! Try some of them – but beware – the COSMOS are lethal!! They should be named Physco’s!! J

SHOWS

We saw a number of shows and the best has to be the Ice Show – it was amazing! Can’t believe they perform that show on such a small piece of ice! DON’T miss it!

We saw a couple of comedians and they were great too – but the magician was not worth going to unless you were under 10 years old. Bearing in mind that these shows all come under the price of your ticket – its amazing the acts they can get on board!

PORTS OF CALL

St Thomas

Beautiful – wonderful – amazing!

Words can’t describe what you see at St Thomas. It is picture paradise. We went shopping first and found the prices to be brilliant. (Remember we are from Northern Ireland) We then asked a taxi driver to take us to Megan’s Bay. He Refused! BUT he said he would take us to a more beautiful beach than we would ever see. Against our better judgement we agreed – best decision we made on holidays. We were taken to Lindberg Beach. There was the total sum of 14 people there and a fantastic beach hut for a bar with a dozen palm trees along a stretch of white sand and turquoise sea!

It was heaven! Our taxi driver turned out to be a real find. He called back for us 15 minutes before the arranged time and gave us an informative, guided, knowledgeable tour of the island! I got his number for those interested in meeting him – it’s definitely worth it if you are going there! (I will give it to those who want to go there)

St Marteen

Again – beautiful – but shopping was a nightmare! We found that the staff stood over our shoulder when we went into a shop. The island itself is gorgeous – but do your shopping for St Thomas.

San Juan

The stop over here was so short we didn’t bother getting off. But that might have something to do with them nutters from Liverpool who kept us drinking till the early hours!

Labadee

This part of Haiti is beautiful. It is worth getting off to see what Royal Caribbean have achieved on a small part of this island. There was a fire eating show where a man walked through fire then put it in his mouth. Then there was a barbeque with an unlimited amount of fabulous food. The beaches are beautiful – but if you do not have children – go straight from the tender to the other side of the island and you will find a sanctuary. Much as I love my own kids – they were not with me on hols so I didn’t really want to listen to others peoples.

OVERALL

Value for money – exceptional – we paid £2600 TOTAL for 11 nights – 2 nights in New York and 9 nights on the ship – the only other money we spent was on drink and a few pressie – this amounted to about £300

If you haven’t cruised before – you will again after your first one. We can’t wait till go back.

For all those people we met – loved your company and it was a pleasure to meet you – hope we meet again sometime!

For that mad Liverpool couple – can we see you again soon? It was brill – thank you – you made it fantastic!!!

[Table 6 UK]

Hi Bubbles

 

Thanks so much for the review - especially form a N.I and U.K. perspective. loads of questions to ask you. We (my girlfriend and I) are from England and will be taking the same cruise on Explorer on 22nd Sept for 9 nights.

 

Can I chat to you a bit later? . . maybe tomorrow - as I have just come in from a bit of a boozie night (1.30ish a.m) and have to go to bed to be fit for work in the morning !

 

Cheers

[lanabanana]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. The Explorer was our "first" too, so she has a special place in our hearts. Now, beware.....many more cruises might be in your future!

 

I was amazed to hear that you thought the prices in NYC to be good. Wow! I'll never be able to go to Northern Ireland!

[Comet Cruiser]

Hi!

We have been on 2 previous cruises, the first was the Grandeur of the Seas, then last year was the Voyager of the Seas. We booked while onboard for this September.

We drive down from Ontario, Canada to go, there is 4 of us that go, my hubby and my sister and her hubby.

We LOVE cruising and got hooked the very first time we went!

 

Table 6 UK... We are going the same time as you, perhaps we will meet on the ship sometime. Have you ever been on a cruise before?

 

Bubbles....THANKS for the great review! We can't wait to go to St. Thomas and St. Maarten. Perhaps you could give me more info regarding the tour you took in St. Thomas?

Thanks!! If you want my email, feel free to ask.

 

Take care and Happy Cruising :D

Comet Cruiser

Gail

[shirleygr]

I was amazed to hear that you thought the prices in NYC to be good. Wow! I'll never be able to go to Northern Ireland!

Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing! ;)

Thanks for a great review. We are doing this cruise, but not until August '08. As you know, it's still fun to read about everything beforehand, especially since we haven't done any Eastern Carib before.

[howiethedog]

Comet Cruiser and Table 6 UK - We are on the same sailing as you! Have you checked out the roll call thread for our cruise?? It is a ton of fun!! Come join in with us! It is the Let's Get Another Party Started Thread! Hope to hear from you there.

[KarinaGW]

Table 6 UK... We are going the same time as you, perhaps we will meet on the ship sometime. Have you ever been on a cruise before?

 

 

Hey folk! Have you come over to the Roll call Board for this cruise? We have quite a lively bunch over there. And, you should sign up for the Meet & Mingle as well. It will be such a gas!!!

[ktzdad]

Hi, sounds like a good trip. We leave on the same next Friday the 30th. Can you share the cab driver's number? Thanks.

[MrPete]

Thanks for the review. We couldn't quite squeeze in 9 days, so we chose the 5 nighter to Bermuda.

 

We are so looking forward to this ship. I love reading all the reviews about her!

[Table 6 UK]

Hi Bubbles (and other people)

 

Now then - About this cruise !

 

Great to know you and yours enjoyed it all, if the girlfriend and I can do the same (I`m pretty sure we can) then the 8 hours a day, 5 days a week interruption to our life of cruising will be worth while !

A few questions:-

When you checked the prices of your cruise online and found that the price had been reduced, and you got a refund -how did that come about?

As we know, if you pays your money and buy something in the good `ole U.K. and it appears cheaper later on - its just your bad luck, the chances of getting back the difference in the price is practically zero. On the advice of some of our fellow, more experienced passengers on our last transatlantic cruise, we booked and paid in full for our cruise, through a U.S. travel agent, and got a good deal.

So . . is it best to keep an eye on the price which is on our t.a`s website, and if the price goes down, call him and ask for a refund or cabin upgrade (we have an ocean view guarantee)?

 

We really are undecided about what to do for the best regarding the shore excurions in St. Thomas. What you did sounds superb - did you feel that you got good value for money and that you were not ripped off ?

Can anyone else recommend anything - we love sand and sea and beautifull beaches - but if there is another must see, please tell us - thanks in advance.

 

From looking at the these boards, there seems to be alot of people who think that Puerto Rico can be a bit of a disappointment, and apart from looking around, not that much to do - is this the case, do you think?

 

COMET CRUISER - Yes we would love to meet up and have a pint or two with you (just an expression !) - how do you suggest we go about it ? We have cruised before : Majesty (Caribbean) 2003 : Legend (West to east transatlantic) this past April.

 

HOWIETHEDOG & KATRINAGW - Yes, I have been following your exploits on the LETS GET THE PARTY STARTED thread - found you guys last Sunday, and found myself sitting in front of this darned computer for almost 8 hours ! catching up on nearly a years worth of postings and general goings on ! The ups and downs of what you guys have been through would make the movie of the week ! and through it all you have shown the greatest courage and believe, all qualities to be admired. We will raise a glass on our voyage together I am sure.

 

You know - there is something about sipping a freshly made cocktail (that you did`nt have to make yourself) under the blazing hot caribbean sun, overlooking a beautiful beach, that you just don`t get in the U.K.

 

BRING ON THAT CRUISE ! !

[Comet Cruiser]

Table 6 UK

We will figure out some way to meet up, I'm sure the hubbies, would love to have a pint or two with you!! My husband's grandfather was from England so he knows from pints.:)

Here is my email, bluefin@sympatico.ca if you want to gab a bit and maybe we can think of a way to meet onboard.

 

Take care and talk to you soon

 

Gail

Comet Cruiser

p.s. September 22nd can't come SOON ENOUGH!!

[liverpool-lou]

Hiya 'Bubbles'

 

Great review, dont ya just wish we could do it all over again;) . It really was one of our best.

 

Got all the stuff for my 'cosmo's' but still haven't made the 'perfect' one yet, but still trying (hic!)

 

I will email you soon with some photos, ta for the ones you sent they were really good.

 

take care.

 

The mad liverpool couple :D

[bubbles30]

Well - were do i start?

 

Lou - great to hear from you. Email long overdue!!!!!

 

Table 6 UK - I booked through a TA, inside room (L category), checked online and realised prices for guarentee balcony were cheaper but it was a Saturday night! SO - I phoned RC who gave me a reservation no, monday morn i phoned TA and she updated our room. Got £115 refund in cash. Have since heard of another couple going in July had great difficulty getting a refund, but i think it was the TA's fault, not RC.

 

I was wondering about booking through an international website coz they are much cheaper for cruise deals. Will try that myself next time.

 

Ktzdad - Sorry - I have hunted high and low for that number but i cant find it. I do have it somewhere, so if i can find it soon ill post it here.

 

Excursions - we didnt do any paid excursions. We explored everything on our own. St Thomas and St Marteen are walkable from the port. (It probably is advisable to take a taxi as it might be a long walk)

 

The beacehs are beautiful - if you prefer quiet and peaceful - try the one we went to in St Thomas - Lindberg Beach. The taxi driver said if we were to come back to go to Sapphire beach as he its more beautiful than Megans Bay.

 

St Marteen has hundreds of jewellers! They are everywhere. Shopping in St Marteen is a little stressful if you dont like folk hanging over your shoulder. If you prefer relaxed shopping do it in St Thomas. The shops are more traditional there, and the staff don't hover over you!

 

St Marteen has a great beach within walking distance of the port.

 

Shopping - jewellery is really cheap in St Thomas and St Marteen, but if you are in New York beforehand, it is cheap there too! My husband is a jeweller and we bought a 14ct diamond ring for at least £150 pounds less than he can buy it from the wholesalers!

 

A little tip - when getting of the ship at the ports - if you are not taking a tour - wait till later to get off (around 11am). It was bedlam getting off for the islands but we found that if you take the lift to the deck 1 you are guarenteed to get off quicker!

 

Anyone wants any more info just let me know.

 

Barbara

[Table 6 UK]

Hi Barbara

 

Many thanks for the reply – all very useful.

 

I got the credit card bill, from the payment of our Explorer cruise that we booked with our U.S. t/o last week, and it turns out that even though we got a good discounted deal that includes a guarantee o/v upgrade (supposedly) and an advantageous exchange rate, we still managed to come up with a charge that was £74.00 less than the rate he quoted us. (that will buy a few Yellowbirds & Coco Locos !) I looked on the RCI website yesterday and they are still £196.00 + taxes more expensive per couple than what we paid. If you want the name and number of our agent, let me know and I will send it to you.

 

Still undecided about what to do re. the excursions, but I seem to be picking up quite a bit of helpful info from other posters that have been there - done that. I think we might end up doing what you did, and going independently.

 

BRING ON SEPTEMBER 22ND!

 

Cheers

KEV :)