Have been to many cruises. This cruise fell short of our expectations

Explorer of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 10

Overall rating:

3.8 out of 5
Verified Review
Explorer of the Seas

5 Night Western Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 24, 2023

Ship: Explorer of the Seas

Cabin number: GTY

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 5 months ago

Review summary

Cruise fell short of our expectations, being rather average. Let's delve into the specifics: Room: They were exceptional, Kerry maintained them immaculately. Windjammer: Disappointingly small with limited food variety and frequent unavailability of options. Closed by 6-6:30 pm, with stalls shutting down as early as 5:45 pm, inconveniencing many who resorted to the pizza on 5th-floor. Food Availability: Lack of late-night options like pizzas, burgers, and fries—unlike other cruises. The inconvenience of having pizza only on the 5th floor was notable. It should been on 11th floor. Coffee and Tea Stations: Scarce post-8 pm, with only one station on the 5th floor. Waiting Times: Excessive wait times (20-30 mins) for items like Naan ad curries due to limited stalls, despite a significant Indian guest count. Pineapple Quality: Initially good, but deteriorated after the first two days, turning bitter due to unripeness. Omelet Station: Only one station for 3,000 guests, leading to extensive waits (30-40 mins) and inefficient service. You should get rid of buzer service and make is self served Hot Tubs: Closing at 6-7 pm was disappointing, especially for vacationers who enjoy them late. Should have been open till midnight as seen on other cruises. Arctic Zone: Single station, causing long queues for ice cream where some small kids geeting irritated standing in a line for 20 + mins and closing early at 6:00 pm, an uncommon setup that could have been self-service like other cruises. Food Variety: Limited variety felt like eating McDonald's everyday and occasionally subpar Indian and other options. Main Dining: A positive experience thanks to exceptional service from Harendra and Josephine, exceeding expectations with top-notch quality and care. They deserve a perfect score of 100 out of 10

Embarkation

4 out of 5

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

2 out of 5

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Ship tip

Food options was mediocre.

Ports of call

Miami, Florida

3 out of 5

Falmouth, Jamaica

4 out of 5

Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)

4 out of 5
Great experience

Disembarkation

5 out of 5
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