Not so Royal anymore

Item: Explorer of the Seas
Rating: 3
Author: ldomingues

Explorer of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

ldomingues

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 17

Overall rating:

3 out of 5

6 Night Western Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 15, 2023

Ship: Explorer of the Seas

Cabin number: 9858

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Our overall experience on this Royal Caribbean cruise was not as positive as we had hoped, especially compared to our past cruises with other lines such as Carnival and Holland, and even to our prior experience with RCL before COVID. The booking process, dining experiences, and internet service were not up to our expectations. We are now considering our options for our next cruise and are inclined to give Carnival another try, as our previous experience with them was enjoyable and their itineraries appear to be significantly cheaper.

Embarkation

1 out of 5

The boarding process was smooth with no lines, but the journey from the Miami port entrance to the pier took longer than expected due to heavy traffic. By 6 PM, all our bags were supposed to be delivered to us according to RCL's information, but one bag was missing. We contacted guest services and security, but no one had any information about the missing bag. We searched the ship for it using the locator tag inside, but after two hours, it was found on display in front of the shore excursions desk. Despite the missing RCL tag, our personal tag with our names was still attached, but it seems that no one bothered to read it and check the passenger list.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

Our reservation for the Chef's Table was cancelled as only 4 people had booked for that day. Despite pre-booking and pre-paying for a table at Chops Grille, we were seated at one of the worst tables in the room, far from the window. Upon request, we were eventually able to move to a table by the window, but the staff seemed unhappy about our request to change tables. The Windjammer Cafe had a good hygiene practice of asking guests to wash their hands before entering, but the service was below par. On many occasions, we had to clean the table ourselves even after asking the staff. On our last day, we waited and waited... It took 27 minutes for someone to come and clean our table, which was unacceptable. The food quality at the restaurants was good but not as exceptional as it was in 2002. The main dining rooms offered mediocre service and the once famous "melting chocolate cake" dessert was no longer up to par, now just a soft pudding, not worth the calories consumed.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

2 out of 5

Upon arrival to our suite, we were underwhelmed by the appearance of such a premium room, which despite being spacious, seemed dated with noticeable rust spots in our balcony.