Ajose1989 Cruise Review on Explorer of the Seas on May 18, 2018

Explorer of the Seas Cruise Review

Ajose1989

Contributor Level: Third Mate

3 Days Till Next Cruise

Reviews: 4

Helpful Votes: 44

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Sail date: May 18, 2018

Ship: Explorer of the Seas

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

This was our first RCL cruise and first Alaskan cruise! I’m gonna share with you what really stood out (pros/cons) in comparison to who we are as travelers and in comparison to our previous cruise experiences. We were a party of 4 ranging from late 20s to 30s of age. Embarkation | Debarkation - We were on the first Alaskan itinerary for the season and were docked out of Pier 91 in Seattle, Wa. While getting to the location was no issue (we ubered while our other party members took a cab) there was such a long - and I mean lonnnnggg line - to get on the ship. We figured it was because it was the first day of this ship being there for this itinerary but we’re confused as many e out of here from RCL. There was a long line to drop off bags that needed tags and an even longer line just to get to security. THEN an even longer line to get your seapass cards prior to boarding the ship. We arrived at 12pm and didn’t board until 3pm with a few minutes to spare before the muster drill; it made coming early more stressful than needed. Also cause it made you hungry waiting for 3 hours in line. Debarkation was a cinch, we did the self assist where you take your own bags out (we left our room at 7am) and was on the pier hailing a cab by 720am. Quality of the Ship: We know that the ship was built in the early 2000s and recently refurbished about 3 years ago. The ship was always maintained clean as others have reviewed and you definitely can see the wear and tear of it being a 10+ year old ship. However, you shouldn’t expect every inch of the ship to be “new” and it didn’t really bother us or hinder any part of our vacation. Just something to note. The ship is beautiful and was never crowded on our week. Getting a drink or going to the buffet was never truly a battle nor truly daunting. We tried to use everything like the ice skating rink (fun); the arcade (small but still fun), mini golf (fun), and the deck with movies playing at different times (fun but cold during times of Alaskan cold weather). Food / Food Service: There were mixed reviews when I read prior to boarding and we definitely saw why. Using the main dining room, I loved every food item I ordered. Some of my party guests did not have a good dish and either had to send it back or not finish it. In regards to the service in the dining room, that was also 50/50. We did my time dining and since you have different waiters we had an amazing one the first couple nights, then we had a very poor one in the middle who forgot our orders and we waited about 25 mins between dishes. I would say those who have set times with set waiters may have more comfort and a better experience. For the windjammer, the food was just okay. It was definitely buffet quality cause sometimes they would serve what is being served in the main dining hall; but with less finesse, quality and appeal. Like breakfast in the windjammer, yes it was quick and easy but the main dining hall had the same plates but tasted hotter, fresher and better. I think it depends if you’re aiming for fast and casual, then windjammer; but if you’re hungry and want good food; I’d say dining room (since you can order as much and as many as you want as well). The Cafe Promenade was pretty much 75% we didn’t like and liked the other 25% of options. It’s the only 24 hour free food. (Windjammer and dining room close at 9pm and room service is available 24 but NOW cost a flat fee per delivery order). The pizza and vegetable sandwich were actually good but the rest really was filler food just in case you had nothing else to eat during the times of everything being closed. It’s really just your ehh last option kind of place. We also ate at Izumi, and can say it was delicious. We were skeptic at first but needed a break from the windjammer/dining hall and decided a Japanese restaurant would be a good change of pace. It was fantastic throughout. That was the only specialty dining we ate, but know we were never hungry! So there’s always food to eat. Cabin: 2 of us stayed in a balcony cabin while our other 2 members stayed in an inside stateroom. So I’ll comment on the balcony room - it was clean and lovely; big enough to move around and had lots of storage. The balcony was huge and comes with a good sized table with chairs to have breakfast on and watch the scenery. (Past ships we’ve been on had a small drink end table - so this was a nice upgrade to have). The bed / pillows / sheets / sofa and vanity were large and comfortable. The bathroom definitely has an older feel to it, but the shower (while small) had good water pressure. The only con was the water pressure of the bathroom sink; it was so very light it was almost a nuisance. Since Alaska has long days of sunlight; it was nice to have the blackout curtains but also be able to utilize the balcony more since more sun was out too! Definitely worth for Alaska as it has scenery to really please the eye. Everything else: The staff everywhere were friendly and helpful; but in comparison to the Norwegian line, RCL staff is very much more formal and proper than the energetic playful type. I think this depends on your interaction you would like but it’s definitely a stark difference. The activities throughout the week were plentiful, however many of them did not appeal to our party. They had off broadway production type shows which was okay; they were slightly entertaining but really played to the population of the crowd. Since this itinerary primarily holds passengers with an average age of 50, many things catered to their interests (70s themed night, dancing to 50s & 60s music, oldies trivia, and much others). We definitely still enjoyed the excursions Alaska had to offer since it differs from tropical / Caribbean itineraries; and has a very relaxed feel from beginning to end. Drinks were good, Schooner had unique ones and Dizzys Bar has the best view; gratuities are already added to your drink check so be sure to check that unless you want to give additional tip. Nonetheless I think we all still enjoyed the cruise and will consider doing RCLs newer ships to see how the culture/food/service measure up to this one. Also it’s good to note that when we went to Alaska; we were cold, especially since it rained pretty much and temps lingered in the low 50s. We had multiple layers too, but it puts a slight damper on walking around towns and rain/wind is blowing at you. So bring an umbrella and a rain jacket just in case!

11 Comments

Ajose1989 6 years ago

@ukmama yup, you can do both, I think if you like the sit down feel with servers I’d recommend it. Cause you can order as many dishes as you want. But if you’re in a hurry (like port days) then get windjammer so you’re on time for excursions or what not

Thumbs Up 1

Flag

ukmama 6 years ago

Can you eat breakfast and lunch in the main dining room and do you recommend it

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

donnaowens821 6 years ago

Good review

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

MomOnTheRun 6 years ago

Thanks! Awesome review.

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

Ajose1989 6 years ago

@wdwgrlz I usually like getting to the check in/boarding early (like 1030am/11am). But someone had said going later would be faster; so we got there a litter after 12pm but got stuck. I’m not sure how it is at 2pm if you were to arrive, but we didn’t board the actual ship until 3 since at 2 I was definitely still in line. I heard other passengers say they had never been in a line this long before so I’m not sure if it’s just a one time occurrence or if that’s how it is at this Pier. If you’re anxious and punctual like me then I’d rather get on early haha.

Thumbs Up 0

Flag

LaMn 6 years ago

Thanks for informative review!

Thumbs Up 1

Flag

wdwgrlz 6 years ago

Thanks for the review! In 2 weeks we’ll be boarding and the Seattle port has me a bit concerned. I’ve heard many recommend getting there noon or later but your experience would lead me to think that earlier is better. In hindsight what would you recommend. We actually will be staying at a house near the port and parking a vehicle.

Thumbs Up 2

Flag

Ajose1989 6 years ago

@keiland let me know if you have any other questions!

Thumbs Up 1

Flag

IkeDeb 6 years ago

Fantastic

Thumbs Up 1

Flag

keiland 6 years ago

Thank you for an informative review. Getting really tired of reading some lately where they don’t explain their reviews. Also thanks for the heads up about the port of Seattle. We live in the area and weren’t going to rush but maybe now we will go earlier.

Thumbs Up 2

Flag

harleychick421 6 years ago

Thank you for the review! Glad you had a good cruise!

Thumbs Up 1

Flag