Wonderful 9 night cruise on Explorer of the Seas. Spent 5 nights in Key Largo prior to cruise. Excellent itinerary that included some ports we had never visited. Staff and ship were great.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
From Uber drop off at curb to being on board was about 22 minutes. Awesome.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
As has been said on this forum, the Main Dining isn't what it used to be, but still, this cruise had some fairly good entrees and appetizers that kept us interested, and going back. As we usually experience, the wait staff makes the difference. They want to make sure you are happy, and will get you pretty much anything you want, food and drink wise. We did not go to any specialty dining, mainly because of cost. We did hit the buffet one time for a late dinner when an excursion ran long, and it was just ok - about what you'd expect. . . . Not bad, not great.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
There is so much to do on this class of ship (Voyager), and the energetic Cruise Director and activities staff were great. Pools were nice, plenty of deck room for miniature golf, water slides, ping pong, Flow Rider, and small walking/running track. Gym is huge, and well-equipped - and has the biggest whirlpool I've ever seen right in the center of the entry foyer. Wow.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Musicians are always good and this cruise was no exception. Loved the single guitar player and other bands in the Royal Promenade, and in the theater. The pool deck steel drum bands are awesome and great to hear while having a drink by the pool. Stage shows were pretty good, especially the couple who did amazing gymnastic moves on stage and in the air with rings and ropes. Our favorite act was the Las Vegas Tenors. Three guys, great singers, very entertaining.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Can't say enough about these wonderful people who leave their homes and families to come take care of us on board. We always ask the ones we see often about their families and share notes with them if they appear comfortable with it. Most love talking about their children and grandchildren, as do we.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Explorer is 24 years old, but is in great shape. Yes, some of the wooden railings need some varnish, but for being at sea for 24 years this ship looks great. We did have a damaged curtain in our cabin that needed to be fixed, but a couple of clothes hangars we brought took care of it during our stay.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Great cabin, even with no balcony. Cabin was clean and tidy.
Ship tip
Don't forget to go all the way forward on Deck 11 during your cruise. Exit to the outside from the forward elevator lobby, and go all the way forward. Incredible views, and there is a "peek a boo bridge" area with windows where you can look down into the navigational bridge.
We chose to rent a car and head down to Key Largo for 5 nights prior to our cruise. A lot to do, especially good restaurants, in the Keys. We drove to Key West one day just to hang out.
We chose to stay on board in this port, since we had just been there on our last cruise. The port is one of the better stops in the Dominican, in our opinion. They have small shuttles that will take you up the pier if you don't want to walk. The port has modern shopping, a fantastic free pool and a few restaurants, and a monkey viewing area.
We took an open air adventure to the Diamond Chocolate Factory (what's not to like ?!) and a pretty cool waterfall where you could swim in the cold water, if you chose to. There were two local guys who jumped off the cliff above for tips. Fantastic and worth a tip.
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