Did not meet expectations
Explorer of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
5 Night Western Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)
Sail date: January 24, 2015
Ship: Explorer of the Seas
Cabin type: Inside
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 9 years ago
Review summary
Really disappointed with the cruise. Evening entertainment was weak when compared to other cruises we have taken. We were hoping food and food service to be better than what we have had on Carnival and Norwegian. What we found was the evening buffet was marginally better, but the main dining rooms and the specialty restaurants were no better than the Carnival Liberty cruise we were on the week before. There was not nearly enough tables in the outdoor deck areas. We like to eat our breakfast and lunches on the open decks but the Explorer of the Sea had only a token number of tables. Both Carnival and Norwegian provide ample table/chairs for casual dining.
Finally, smoking was permitted in the Lido Pool area on the Starboard side. Having designated smoking and non-smoking in an open area is like having peeing and non-peeing areas in a swimming pool.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
This ship did not meet expectations. Having taken short 3-5 day cruises on other cruise lines, we were disappointed with the overall experience. We could have sailed on Carnival for 7 days for what we paid for this RCCL 5-day cruise. Expected a better experience.