We really enjoyed our 5 night cruise on the Explorer. My husband and I are in our late 30's and really just wanted a quiet, relaxing vacation. This ship was perfect for what we needed. It was a great value too! We have 2 pre-teen kids and I probably won't consider this ship a good fit for them, though.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Very smooth. Arrived at port, checked bags, checked in with agent and was on ship in less than 45 minutes.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Main dining room food and service was pretty average. Windjammer buffet was hit or miss. Caribbean night was great in the buffet and the creme brulee was wonderful in the Main Dining Room.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Activities on this ship were average. Ship is showing it's age. Pool decks and hot tubs could use a bit of revamping (which is happening soon in dry dock). Fitness program and gym was lacking compared to other RC ships.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Cruise director was just ok. Comedian and magician were both pretty good. Musical groups were not our "cup of tea". Have had much better entertainment on board other RC ships.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Service was pretty good. No one seemed to be going above and beyond as I have consistently seen on other Royal Caribbean ships. This was one of the smaller, older ships and I was hoping that the service would make up for what the ship was lacking, but it didn't really. I did not have any bad encounters at all, but did not have any outstanding customer service either.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Ship is showing it's age and is not as clean (especially around edges/corners) as other RC ships. Everything was acceptable and can't wait to see her again after dry dock.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Room was small, but comfortable. We were disappointed that the fridge had been turned into a "cooler", which meant we needed to constantly ask for ice (even though we had requested it be delivered every day after 5pm). For being an older, out-dated ship, we were pretty pleased with our interior room.
We have been to Nassau several times. It is not our favorite port, but this time we did walk to the Fort and the Queen's Staircase, which are both free to visit. Both were an easy walk from the Port and left us plenty of time to sit and enjoy the view from Junkanoo Beach. We did enjoy the buy one, get one free "yard" Bahama Mama's at Fat Tuesdays, which will be our go-to spot when we are in Nassau (we had 4 total "yards" for about $30!).
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