Not As Great As We Hoped It Would Be
Explorer of the Seas Cruise Review to U.S. - Pacific, Northwest
4 Night Best Of British Columbia (Seattle Roundtrip)
Sail date: May 14, 2018
Ship: Explorer of the Seas
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 7218
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 6 years ago
Review summary
The use of "washy washy, good for your tummy" to disburse Purell lotion to diners was both condescending to travelers and racial stereotyping at it's worst for the poor Asian woman who was forced to say it over and over at every meal, every day of the cruise. We hated going to the Windjammer to eat. The dining room service wasn't great either. We arrived on time, but waited 30 minutes for our order to be taken while the staff waited for others at our table to arrive, which most of them didn't bother. The 8 pm seating was nearly empty. It was over an hour before we got our food. Everything shut down during port visits on the ship, except bars and food. We were hoping to visit the shops when it was less crowded. Nope. Weather forced everyone inside the first day due to cold and wind and it was crowded everywhere. Not much better other days. Barely went over 68. Thick fog the whole first night led to hearing the fog horn blare every 5 to 7 minutes from the ship in warning to other vessels. We were in the front of the ship, so it was very loud, all night long. By the 4th day, the bathroom smelled so bad of sewer smell, we could hardly stand to use it. The ship was showing it's age with rust, ratty carpets and smell, but was clean as possible for it's age. We grew tired of the trivia games and kareoke very quickly. Finally, get the beverage package at least, but recommend the food package as well, as the outlining restaurants had the best food and service. First time on Royal C. and sadly, we weren't impressed.Embarkation
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
Pick a newer ship in the fleet and better places to visit.