Disappointed with Explorer Cruise 6/4-6/9

[Flatiron]

We just got back yesterday from a 5 day Bermuda cruise on Explorer of the Seas. This was our fifth cruise in RCI and our second on Explorer. The cruise was alright and we had a good time. However, eveything seemed to be down one level compared to the other cruises we have been on.

 

I should have know this would be different as soon as we boarded. My daughter and son-in-law's room had trash, half eaten apple and bottles, in the trash can under the dressing table when we entered. The cabin attendant never introduce herself or said anything to us when we met other than hello. We still don't know her name.

 

I had a real problem with the main dining room. It was obvious that they must have cut down the size of the staff because all the waiters were very hurried and the area we were always seemed very chaotic. I asked twice the first night for a coctail before dinner. The bar server did not come until I was finished with the main course. She never even showed up the next night. The food definitely was not good. I had a prime rib that was all fat, a sea bass that was not edible. Even the lobster was not cooked right and was very small. Anytime we asked for a dish cooked a certain way it came back opposite what you requested. The sirloin stake was terrible.

 

The entertainment was also lacking. The shows in the palace theatre were OK but the same exact shows, like "Fast Forward" , that we saw a year and a half ago. The music in the clubs was not as good, especially Dizzys. The band there did "Quando Quando..............." that reminded of Murph and the Magic Tones in the Blues Brothers. The ice show was good.

 

The rugs and carpets in the halls and our room were very stained and dirty. The furniture in our room was a mess, chipped and stained. I know the ship is going into drydock soon but this cruise was not free.

 

The shops on the promonade deck all seemed very low on stock but highter than last year in price.

 

I has a bad experience wit a photographer in the dinning room. He came to out table just after the main course was served and asked us to stand for a group picture. I told him it was not a good time we just started eating. He froze and stared at me like he wanted to have a fist fight and then turned walked away.

 

Using the other four RCI cruises as a frame of reference this one was not good. I know all this may seem petty but we did pay alot of money for the cruise, at least the food could have been edible. The next RCI cruise and we would have been Platinum members but that won't happen. We like cruising but will try a different line for the next cruise. For now it's goodbye RCI.

 

Flatiron

[MrPete]

Must be a sophmoric thing.

 

Our second cruise on the Explorer was disappointing as well, but we went back for a third time, as we LOVE Bermuda.

 

Luckily, things had improved, and was as good as our first time on her.

[tchrmom]

Must be a sophmoric thing.

 

Our second cruise on the Explorer was disappointing as well, but we went back for a third time, as we LOVE Bermuda.

 

Luckily, things had improved, and was as good as our first time on her.

 

I too loved Bermuda.........when we went there 22 years ago (married 8/1/87)

 

Back then....we were on our honeymoon, and everything about the place seemed "magical". What type of things do you do while there? I've wondered if it would be as exciting to go now.....as it was back then.

[ERIE 13]

Are you referring to the 7/4-7/9 cruise. If so, this was our third trip on Explorer in the last year and a half, and i must say one of the best. We were on deck four of the MDR and the food was outstanding. lOBSTER, Prime Rib, etc all great. Windjammer Cafe food also very good.

Service was excellent. Our stateroom attendant on deck eight introduced himself right away and he kept the room immaculate. Ship is showing some signs of wear but only if you really looked hard.

The Ship staff always friendly and helpful. By the way Bermuda is a great place to visit, just wish they still had the seven day cruise like they had six years ago. Some of the other cruise lines still have them. The shows were good although the theme was the same as last oct. The only problem my wife and i had was with the photos taken, they made us look a little older. I'll have to send an e-mail to RCCL about that.

[galavant3]

The only problem my wife and i had was with the photos taken, they made us look a little older. I'll have to send an e-mail to RCCL about that.

 

Yes, I'm finding this is a common problem with a lot of photographers lately. Very annoying.

 

I'll be on this cruise in 3 weeks and we've never been to Bermuda. Anything you would classify as a "don't miss"? We've already signed up for the Biking excursion.

[yogimax]

Are you referring to the 7/4-7/9 cruise. If so, this was our third trip on Explorer in the last year and a half, and i must say one of the best. We were on deck four of the MDR and the food was outstanding. lOBSTER, Prime Rib, etc all great. Windjammer Cafe food also very good.

Service was excellent.

 

Just goes to show that people can have very different opinions about the same or similar experiences

[MrPete]

Just goes to show that people can have very different opinions about the same or similar experiences

 

So true.

 

I figure there's at LEAST 1 person that comes off ALL cruiseships dissatisfied. EVERY SAILING.

 

You can't POSSIBLY please EVERYBODY.

 

And if they make their way here, WATCH OUT! Worse if it's post #1, like that makes any difference.

 

But if you make any cruising decisions on one post, or one reviewers rant, you're only shorting yourself.

[karen116]

I will be sailing on the Explorer on 8/20 and have never cruised RCI before. I am so excited about this cruise as i have heard so many wonderful things about RC.

 

If you go on vacation with a good frame of mind then you're bound to have a great time.

[JanineM]

I think every ship can have "off cruises", and every staff person can have "off weeks". We were on Monarch last month and ALSO noticed that the service in the MDR was skimpier than last time, and the food DID seem like it was not the same quality as in January. Like the OP, I think there have been cutbacks.

 

The OP stated their opinion on their cruise, so why not leave it at that? It's very unfortunate that they didn't have the cruise they had hoped for. How many of us would be happy to find garbage still in the bins in our cabins? That IS a problem - and I would see it as an indication that either the attendant was overworked or sick. Sometimes I think we "Loyal Royalers" need to just chill a bit and let people vent. JMHO.:)

[TRadle]

I think every ship can have "off cruises", and every staff person can have "off weeks". We were on Monarch last month and ALSO noticed that the service in the MDR was skimpier than last time, and the food DID seem like it was not the same quality as in January. Like the OP, I think there have been cutbacks.

 

The OP stated their opinion on their cruise, so why not leave it at that? It's very unfortunate that they didn't have the cruise they had hoped for. How many of us would be happy to find garbage still in the bins in our cabins? That IS a problem - and I would see it as an indication that either the attendant was overworked or sick. Sometimes I think we "Loyal Royalers" need to just chill a bit and let people vent. JMHO.:)

 

I'll be on the 8/20th sailing and was happy to see someone else post from the same cruise as the OP with a different experience. That doesn't mean the OP made up stories, it is just that was not the experience for everyone onboard.

 

When reviews are posted that seem to be mostly negative I also check to see if it is a new member with the first post. In this case the OP has been around for over a year but just doesn't post much.

[pepsicruiser]

This is not the first time people who have cruised RC or specifically on Explorer have complained about the condition of the ship, drop in food quality and the shops. So I do believe she/he experienced all of these things. I only cruised Exp once and it was a good experience but that was 3 years ago. I do believe it is going into dry dock soon so that may take care of the condition of ship.

[bermuda09]

 

I had a real problem with the main dining room. It was obvious that they must have cut down the size of the staff because all the waiters were very hurried and the area we were always seemed very chaotic. I asked twice the first night for a coctail before dinner. The bar server did not come until I was finished with the main course. She never even showed up the next night. The food definitely was not good. I had a prime rib that was all fat, a sea bass that was not edible. Even the lobster was not cooked right and was very small. Anytime we asked for a dish cooked a certain way it came back opposite what you requested. The sirloin stake was terrible.

 

Flatiron

 

Hey Flatiron! I can tell you that I agree with you 100%. I just posted my wedding review on the wedding and honeymoon page and this is what I wrote:

 

The dining services were always awful. First night, I seriously waited 45 minutes for a diet coke. I actually got up to complain to the head waiter, and still, nothing. Another night, I tried ordering a jack and coke for my husband from the drink lady and she ignored me. When I finally got her to come around again 20 minutes later; she tried arguing with me, telling me that I never originally ordered from her. Another night, my dad ordered wine for our two tables. My parents table was served wine and we waited for 30 minutes. Finally, I got up, found glasses and served my table wine. The wait staff also would take away dishes w/out asking if people were done with them. We also tried eating at Johnny Rockets b/c everyone in our family who ate there told us it was good. However, for some reason, when a group of us went, it was like the kitchen basically shut down. After waiting 45 minutes for a hamburger, I got up and left. The rest of the party stayed behind and waited another 20 minutes to finally be served. They actually wanted my husband to pay for mine, even though 1. I wasn't even there and 2. when he told them to cancel the order it still wasn't made. I also had 2 problems at Portofinos for the night we ate there after our wedding. 1. they had my entire party split up even though I told spoke with them the day we got on the ship and they ensured me that we would all be together. (we had them fix it, despite the fact that he did not want to) and 2. at the end of dinner they told me that they needed the cruise card of one of the couples b/c we had more people in our party than what we said. Clearly, the man did not count, b/c we, of course had 34, not 35. He did, still try to argue with me. I have eaten at many nice restaurants and have been on 3 cruises in the past. You should never argue with a guest and should never make anyone wait 45 minutes for anything. Also, I must point out that b/c our families ate at different times- 6 and 8:30, we ate with each of them on different nights. Thus, it wasn't just one particular server it was many.

 

Please don't think that my party did not have a fantastic time on the cruise and our wedding on Bermuda was unbelievable. However, I do think that the dining experiences were awful. I have previously cruised with Princess on three separate occasions and they never disappointed me.

[terri23]

dining room bar service has gotten pretty bad. the easy fix is to get your cocktail from one of the other bars and take it into the dining room with you. you'll probably get a better drink that way, too.

[MrPete]

dining room bar service has gotten pretty bad. the easy fix is to get your cocktail from one of the other bars and take it into the dining room with you. you'll probably get a better drink that way, too.

 

I agree with you there. We had a hard time getting ANYONE to take a drink order, and the yummy after dinner drink$$ were practically non existant.

 

In previous years, the service was SO good, they called you by NAME!

[DC2OC]

My last Explorer cruise the staff in the MDR seemed overworked at dinner.They didn't have the time to stop for a request.Cabin was kept up well though

[Yvonne]

Some people are difficult, if not impossible, to please.

 

I would not be annoyed or disgusted to find trash in the bin under the dressing table. That could easily have been forgotten by the room steward. They have to clean the rooms quickly between cruises, and the room stewards are human...something may be overlooked. A trash bin under the dressing table is just not something to get upset over.

[MrPete]

Some people are difficult, if not impossible, to please.

 

I would not be annoyed or disgusted to find trash in the bin under the dressing table. That could easily have been forgotten by the room steward. They have to clean the rooms quickly between cruises, and the room stewards are human...something may be overlooked. A trash bin under the dressing table is just not something to get upset over.

,

 

On my last cruise on the Explorer, I had an ashtray FULL of Winstons on my balcony. On the third day, they were still there, so the next time I saw my steward, I told her.

 

She told me that they must be my wife's. :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

[TRadle]

Some people are difficult, if not impossible, to please.

 

I would not be annoyed or disgusted to find trash in the bin under the dressing table. That could easily have been forgotten by the room steward. They have to clean the rooms quickly between cruises, and the room stewards are human...something may be overlooked. A trash bin under the dressing table is just not something to get upset over.

 

There shouldn't be trash left. I suspect if the cabin attendant had been better during the week the trash left in the room would have been forgiven.

 

I'm a little concerned about the slow drink service int he MDR. We'll be sure to get something before dinner and bring it in.

[warrior]

I have sailed on RCI 9 times, the last cruise being 3 weeks ago on Mariner, and I experienced a noticeable degradation in service and food and ship upkeep. Even one of the RC Singers and Dancers shows left many of us shaking our heads, because they almost always deliver an impressive production.

 

That cruise was easily the lowest ranked on my list in terms of food and service and room cleanliness. Yet some here will scoff and say that we are just negative.

[lv2cruisgrl]

Yep we noticed some of the things you mentioned on our May cruise....we even had a very nice conversation with our head waiter because we noticed they changed the scallops appetizer to the bay scallops which unless you had a magnifing glass you couldnt see. He told us they are cutting back on some of the food, which we said is a mistake. He said the staff numbers are the same but we said it seemed like they are way too rushed. The best thing to do is be heard with your pen, be sure to fill out the survey and give them feedback. Hopefully they will listen.:o

[publicpersona]

Yes, I'm finding this is a common problem with a lot of photographers lately. Very annoying.

I must say I have found the photographers to be extremely aggressive lately. Where the tenders unload in Grand Cayman on our last cruise, the photographers literally blocked the exit from the tender, making the dog's dinner out of the tendering process. In another port, they had one of the photographers in a character costume (which, for the life of me, I could not recognize or associate with the port of call at all) and she was grabbing at people and holding them for a picture. That was cute for about two seconds until I realized that she was doing it even to those waving her off.

[aqhacruiser]

,

 

On my last cruise on the Explorer, I had an ashtray FULL of Winstons on my balcony. On the third day, they were still there, so the next time I saw my steward, I told her.

 

She told me that they must be my wife's.

 

First, the steward should not have even said they were your wife's, just clean it up as you requested....... period.

 

Second, We've sailed the Ex. a few times and we had seen a huge difference on our April/May 13 night cruise compared to Nov/Dec. and other cruises on the EX. The food was terrible in our opinion ( Portifino was still good) and we ate mostly in ports. Our cabin was an owners suite and peeling paint was everywhere on the balcony, carpet in cabin where it meets marble was badly frayed, not an ounce of varnish on railings, and there were a few other things that I forget now. We had stayed in the same OS on other cruises on the EX. and it was always well maintained but not on that cruise and we were surprised at the condition although it was very clean and our stewards were wonderful as always.

Service was excellent as always IMO but the cut backs in food and in maintenance were very obvious to us as we do sail the ship quite a bit. Several times in 2008 we'd heard others complain about cabin conditions but this was the first time we had seen it first hand. I have no doubt had I said anything, repairs and paint would have been done to the cabin but we really didn't want to deal with the hassle of all that on vacation so we said nothing and we DID have a wonderful time as always. It's a cruise! Short of that ship sinking we will always have a great time! lol:D But as someone stated it was not free and it was disappointing as far as the food and the condition of the cabin especially as it really was the first time we had experienced any problems on the Ex. so we were very surprised by it and I did write our concerns on the comment card.

 

It is true the EX. goes into dry dock in Jan. and we'll have a brand new Ex. when she returns:) and I'm sure these issues will be resolved then. I'm disappointed to hear others say there are still issues with the food and this is not the first post I've read after we returned in May that states that although I've also read of others that enjoyed the food too so as already mentioned everyone has a different opinion and experience.

Based on our personal experience in April/May I have switched our winter bookings to Cunard this year and plan to return to the EX. after dry dock for the new Bermuda/Bahamas itinerary.

 

I can understand not wanting to do much maintenance on a ship that is scheduled for dry dock soon but the food is an easy fix in my opinion and it was such a difference from our other cruises that I'd personally rather sail on another cruiseline right now for the money we spend. Others have reported of cut backs on other ships so I do not think it's just the Ex. and more a sign of the economy and I'm sure all cruiselines are cut backing where they can right now. I just do not think food is one of those areas that should be subject to cut backs on quality and I'd rather pay for better food if that's what it takes and we did eat in Portifino or in ports for the most part on that cruise. I just wish we had a Chops too for more variety if this is what we'll have to do in the future on a RCCL cruise. There has been discussion onboard of adding some Chops items to the Portifino menu during dry dock so we can always hope! :)

 

For anyone scheduled to cruise the Ex. soon that may read this, take my opinion and others lightly as everyone needs to really experience it for themselves as everyone has different opinions about everything on a cruise and I can honestly say we've always had a great time on the EX!. So board with that mind set and no matter what glitches you may have you will most likely always have a wonderful vacation! :)

[aqhacruiser]

I must say I have found the photographers to be extremely aggressive lately. Where the tenders unload in Grand Cayman on our last cruise, the photographers literally blocked the exit from the tender, making the dog's dinner out of the tendering process. In another port, they had one of the photographers in a character costume (which, for the life of me, I could not recognize or associate with the port of call at all) and she was grabbing at people and holding them for a picture. That was cute for about two seconds until I realized that she was doing it even to those waving her off.

 

We've always found the photographers to be annoying but a firm NO THANK YOU as we just keep walking when we get off the ship seems to work well:D As for table pictures, they've always taken them shortly after everyone was seated and you are more or less stuck at that point as some people at your table may like to have the pics so not much you can do. However if I was the person that they interrupted while eating I would have said NO pictures now. That timing was not appropriate nor is grabbing anyone for a picture.

[SA Traveler]

Of our 15 RCL cruises the one on the Explorer was our least favorite. I can't even say exactly why. The whole atmosphere was just different - we weren't as comfortable as on all the others. Nothing to do with food - just not the experience we were expecting. We did have a great stateroom attendant. If this had been our first RCL cruise I would have really been disappointed.

[MaskedTurtle]

Some people are difficult, if not impossible, to please.

 

I would not be annoyed or disgusted to find trash in the bin under the dressing table. That could easily have been forgotten by the room steward. They have to clean the rooms quickly between cruises, and the room stewards are human...something may be overlooked. A trash bin under the dressing table is just not something to get upset over.

 

 

Um...They have to clean the rooms quickly? They have hours between cruises, and it's not like each room attendant has an entire hallway full of rooms to do. Honestly, emptying the trash is one of the simplest responsibilities of a room attendant & should be one of the first things you do. For example: go into a room, get rid of the trash, get rid of old sheets, and proceed to clean. My family and I were a bit annoyed by our "dirty room" experience last year. We got into the room & noticed that the bottom drawer would not close when we pushed it. It would stick out as though something were blocking it from closing. We removed the drawer to find that an old diaper had been behind the drawer. It must have been there for a long time, because there was a lot of dirt & dust on it. It wasn't enough to dampen our cruise experience, but annoying just the same.