A lovely time

Explorer of the Seas Cruise Review

AlexBurrows

Contributor Level: Second Mate

288 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Reviews: 4

Helpful Votes: 50

Overall rating:

4.7 out of 5

7 Night Greece & Croatia (Venice Roundtrip)

Sail date: September 10, 2023

Ship: Explorer of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 8690

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

Overall we had a great time. This cruise was very port intensive and the 2 sea days were needed for a break. For people with mobility difficulties this itinerary is challenging. Santorini you have to get-up and down the cliff. Split and Dubrovnik are built into the surrounding mountains so lots of steps. In Athens a lot of the sites are on hills, so a lotbof uphill walking.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

We had the key and were onboard by 11am.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

MDR and buffet were ok but nothing special. Chops Grille and Izumi were great. Johnny Rockets was fun. Staff at the park cafe was great.

Chops Grille

5 out of 5

Loved the food andcthe service

Izumi Hibachi & Sushi

5 out of 5

First time and had a great experience

Café Promenade

5 out of 5

Marko and Michael were great.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

Solarium was ok. Would have been great if staff would have dealt with chairhoggs.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Only went to ice show which was great

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Cabin was smaller than previous cabins. Balcony was lovely and big. We had 2 loungers with mattress as well as 2 cgairs and a table. For us the balcony is more important so the room was perfect for us

Ports of call

Piraeus (Athens), Greece

5 out of 5

Easy to visit Athens on your own. We took the X80 bus there and return. Price was €4.10 for a day ticket. Remember to validate this once on the bus. We bought a combination ticket and visited Olympia and the Acropolis. Both are worth visiting but be aware of the queue getting into Acropolis. Also entry tends to be 2 hours after you bought a ticket. They will make you wait. The Acropolis is very physically challenging and as I have asthma and arthritis I struggled big time. Just be aware of your own limitations. We also did a small private tour with a taxi for €50. Saw several Athens sites including a monastery on another hill. Our driver was brilliant and very knowledgeable.

Thumbs Up 0

Split, Croatia

4 out of 5

Around the marina and old town is ok, but the rest is ruined by graffiti and feels grubby. Not our favourite port and wouldn't visit again

Thumbs Up 0

Dubrovnik, Croatia

5 out of 5

Loved Dubrovnik, but it's quite expensive. 2 cokes cost us €12. Apparently that's normal for there. We stayed in the flat walled in old town which was beautiful. Plenty to see. The canle car was €27 each so we decided against this. To walk the wall was €35 each which we also decided against. There were small mini-can tours offered from the shuttle drop off which were reasonably priced and very popular.

Thumbs Up 0

Ravenna, Italy

5 out of 5

Beautiful old town with friendly people. Lots of little shops, cafes, and restaurants. We spent 5 days here prior to cruising

Thumbs Up 0