Explorer of the Seas
Sail date:
From the moment we saw the ship in port in Miami we knew this was going to be an amazing experience. And the Explorer of the Seas delivered more than what we ever expected. We went on the Western Caribbean adventure on December 7, 2002.Although the lines for embarking were extremely long and our cabin reservations got messed up, but the ship and its truly wonderful staff made up for everything. We had far above exceptional waiters and room stewards. Everyone was friendly, helpful and instrumental to making our experience unforgettable. The food was exceptional and the wait staff went above and beyond for us. Special dinner items and anticipated menu requests were performed like they were routine. They made birthday cakes and special "strange" menu requests and did all of it with a smile. The Explorer of the Seas does not have the word "NO" in their vocabulary. The cafe was fun and ALWAYS had new desserts and sandwiches. The Windjammer was great, especially on port days when we were in a hurry to eat and leave the ship. The dining rooms were elegant, HUGE and beautifully decorated. Johnny Rockets is a fun twist on your regular hamburger, with staff that sing and dance. Room service was a little on the slow side but they are happy to bring you anything you like no matter the time. There is SOOOOOO much to do on this ship that the ports definately had competition. The shows are professionally executed and the only down side of the ship is no movie thearter. Wished that they would have utilized the gorgeous Broadway theater to substitute for movies in the day time.The ports got a little hectic and weren't as long as would have liked. Labadee, Haiti was GREAT. The shopping in unbeliveable there. Better than at any of the other ports, nicer people, more relaxing and simply beautiful. Did not like Jamaica, however and the entire place left you feeling generally unsafe. The Cayman Islands were beautiful, the snorkeling was undescribable and a great price. The beaches went on for miles. But going back to the Explorer was an entire vaccation in itself.Days at sea were relaxing, exciting, entertaining and fun. The ship had activities to cater to everyone no matter their pleasure. The Promenade shops were fantastic, reasonably priced and had EVERYTHING.Disembarking went very smoothly but we were all sad to leave. Wished that it had been a 2 week cruise instead. The only bad thing about this experience was once you have had the best, "ordinary" will never do and we will have to sail the Explorer everytime we cruise.We are planning to return to Explorer of the Seas to go to the Eastern Caribbean for our next vacation and can't wait to sail with The Explorer and its amazing staff all over again.