Good cruise let down by poor food and entertainment

Explorer of the Seas Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 12

Overall rating:

3.9 out of 5
Explorer of the Seas

14 Night Italian Mediterranean (Southampton Roundtrip)

Sail date: June 09, 2019

Ship: Explorer of the Seas

Cabin type: Suite

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

We are ‘serial cruises’ with many different cruise lines over the last 25 years. On the whole Royal Caribbean suits us best. However although the ports of call were all good, the food and entertainment did did match our expectations of what we have come to expect from Royal Caribbean.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
No problem

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
Food in the evening dining room was poor forcing us to spend money and eat in the speciality restaurants.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
The on board activity schedules were good.

Entertainment

3 out of 5
Poor theatre shows spoiled the entertainment which was timed at awkward times for late diners. The only really great entertainment came from Perry Grant in the Schooner Bar, the Star Lounge and the main theatre.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
All staff were friendly and efficient.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
The ship is nearly 20 years old and although refitted in 2017 will benefit from the next refit scheduled for 2020.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5
Very clean, good sized mini-suite in cabin 1354.

Ship tip

Expect to invest in the speciality restaurants if you want hot, well prepared, aesthetically pleasing meals.

Ports of call

Southampton (London), England

5 out of 5
Boarded here, hometown port. Fast efficient service.

Gibraltar (U.K.)

5 out of 5
Easy walk into town. Excellent shopping opportunities. Not everything is cheaper than (n the U.K. Had lunch at Ocean Village on the nearby harbour side. Lots places to eat. Most are child friendly.

Villefranche-Sur-Mer, France

5 out of 5
Fun place with restaurants and a beach. We did both after visiting the Rothschild Villa. Monaco and Nice are both within 30 minutes by taxi. Uber cabs are generally available. Very much worth visiting the local town within easy walking distance from the ship.

La Spezia, Italy

3 out of 5
Very much worth visiting the local town within easy walking distance from the ship. Some shopping and plenty of restaurants.

Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

3 out of 5
Rome is an hour away by train but there are plenty of local restaurants and a beach within walking distance from the ship’s shuttle drop off point.

Naples, Italy

3 out of 5
Very busy port. My advice is to take an excursion to get away from the port and see the sights.

Cagliari, Sardinia

4 out of 5
Walked straight off the ship and quickly into the busy town which has something to offer everyone. Plenty of local restaurants serving all kinds of cuisine. I recommend the City Tour which is fun to do in one of the blue tuk tuks you will find eating on the street corners. Try Calessino Calgliari Tours on the internet.

Cadiz (Seville), Spain

3 out of 5
Plenty of restaurants and a beach are all within walking distance from the ship.

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
Swift and efficient with easy taxi access.
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