Explorer of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Lovely ship and well maintained. Great staff and superb food in the dining rooms, not impressed with Johnny Rockets. Entertainment (floor shows) were lacking . This was our second cruise with RCCL and would cruise with them again.

We enjoyed a suite on the fantail. It offers views that are not possible from the side of the ship. While not ideal for photography it is a beautiful view. Alaska is one the most majestic places I have ever be witness too. If you have the opportunity to see it, it is not to be missed. Royal Caribbean is a good cruise line and we are almost at Pinnacle level but we have been sailing with Norwegian as of late and I believe it to be better in a variety of ways. Royal over the years has regularly cut perks it use to give freely. It has taken away form the experience and I suppose if you have never experienced them you will not miss them. I would probably use Norwegian for our next visit to Alaska.

Great cruise! Zip lining in Juneau, so much fun. Victoria beautiful, afternoon tea at the Empress, doesn’t get better then that. Crew all terrific, food for the most part very good.

This was our first RCL cruise and first Alaskan cruise! I’m gonna share with you what really stood out (pros/cons) in comparison to who we are as travelers and in comparison to our previous cruise experiences. We were a party of 4 ranging from late 20s to 30s of age. Embarkation | Debarkation - We were on the first Alaskan itinerary for the season and were docked out of Pier 91 in Seattle, Wa. While getting to the location was no issue (we ubered while our other party members took a cab) there was such a long - and I mean lonnnnggg line - to get on the ship. We figured it was because it was the first day of this ship being there for this itinerary but we’re confused as many cruises come out of here from RCL. There was a long line to drop off bags that needed tags and an even longer line just to get to security. THEN an even longer line to get your seapass cards prior to boarding the ship. We arrived at 12pm and didn’t board until 3pm with a few minutes to spare before the muster drill; it made coming early more stressful than needed. Also cause it made you hungry waiting for 3 hours in line. Debarkation was a cinch, we did the self assist where you take your own bags out (we left our room at 7am) and was on the pier hailing a cab by 720am. Quality of the Ship: We know that the ship was built in the early 2000s and recently refurbished about 3 years ago. The ship was always maintained clean as others have reviewed and you definitely can see the wear and tear of it being a 10+ year old ship. However, you shouldn’t expect every inch of the ship to be “new” and it didn’t really bother us or hinder any part of our vacation. Just something to note. The ship is beautiful and was never crowded on our week. Getting a drink or going to the buffet was never truly a battle nor truly daunting. We tried to use everything like the ice skating rink (fun); the arcade (small but still fun), mini golf (fun), and the deck with movies playing at different times (fun but cold during times of Alaskan cold weather). Food / Food Service: There were mixed reviews when I read prior to boarding and we definitely saw why. Using the main dining room, I loved every food item I ordered. Some of my party guests did not have a good dish and either had to send it back or not finish it. In regards to the service in the dining room, that was also 50/50. We did my time dining and since you have different waiters we had an amazing one the first couple nights, then we had a very poor one in the middle who forgot our orders and we waited about 25 mins between dishes. I would say those who have set times with set waiters may have more comfort and a better experience. For the windjammer, the food was just okay. It was definitely buffet quality cause sometimes they would serve what is being served in the main dining hall; but with less finesse, quality and appeal. Like breakfast in the windjammer, yes it was quick and easy but the main dining hall had the same plates but tasted hotter, fresher and better. I think it depends if you’re aiming for fast and casual, then windjammer; but if you’re hungry and want good food; I’d say dining room (since you can order as much and as many as you want as well). The Cafe Promenade was pretty much 75% we didn’t like and liked the other 25% of options. It’s the only 24 hour free food. (Windjammer and dining room close at 9pm and room service is available 24 but NOW cost a flat fee per delivery order). The pizza and vegetable sandwich were actually good but the rest really was filler food just in case you had nothing else to eat during the times of everything being closed. It’s really just your ehh last option kind of place. We also ate at Izumi, and can say it was delicious. We were skeptic at first but needed a break from the windjammer/dining hall and decided a Japanese restaurant would be a good change of pace. It was fantastic throughout. That was the only specialty dining we ate, but know we were never hungry! So there’s always food to eat. Cabin: 2 of us stayed in a balcony cabin while our other 2 members stayed in an inside stateroom. So I’ll comment on the balcony room - it was clean and lovely; big enough to move around and had lots of storage. The balcony was huge and comes with a good sized table with chairs to have breakfast on and watch the scenery. (Past ships we’ve been on had a small drink end table - so this was a nice upgrade to have). The bed / pillows / sheets / sofa and vanity were large and comfortable. The bathroom definitely has an older feel to it, but the shower (while small) had good water pressure. The only con was the water pressure of the bathroom sink; it was so very light it was almost a nuisance. Since Alaska has long days of sunlight; it was nice to have the blackout curtains but also be able to utilize the balcony more since more sun was out too! Definitely worth for Alaska as it has scenery to really please the eye. Everything else: The staff everywhere were friendly and helpful; but in comparison to the Norwegian line, RCL staff is very much more formal and proper than the energetic playful type. I think this depends on your interaction you would like but it’s definitely a stark difference. The activities throughout the week were plentiful, however many of them did not appeal to our party. They had off broadway production type shows which was okay; they were slightly entertaining but really played to the population of the crowd. Since this itinerary primarily holds passengers with an average age of 50, many things catered to their interests (70s themed night, dancing to 50s & 60s music, oldies trivia, and much others). We definitely still enjoyed the excursions Alaska had to offer since it differs from tropical / Caribbean itineraries; and has a very relaxed feel from beginning to end. Drinks were good, Schooner had unique ones and Dizzys Bar has the best view; gratuities are already added to your drink check so be sure to check that unless you want to give additional tip. Nonetheless I think we all still enjoyed the cruise and will consider doing RCLs newer ships to see how the culture/food/service measure up to this one. Also it’s good to note that when we went to Alaska; we were cold, especially since it rained pretty much and temps lingered in the low 50s. We had multiple layers too, but it puts a slight damper on walking around towns and rain/wind is blowing at you. So bring an umbrella and a rain jacket just in case!

Royal Caribbean is simply amazing. My first cruise - was so impressed by the staff and everyone who made this trip one of the best times I have ever had! Loved being with friends - but also to roam on my own was fun. The weather was cook so did not spend much time outside on the decks. Loved how clean everything was and was impressed by the "handwashing" they made us do. The "Washy Washy" gal at the entrance to the buffet was the best treat to see daily. Her smile radiated! Tip: use the Cruise ship excursions - had horrible experiences with two that we chose that was not part of RC.

I got onboard the Explorer of the Seas in Seattle , 4 days in Canada nice weather and beautiful views.

We took a cruise for a quick getaway girls trip. The service starting out was not fantastic but by day 3 of our 4 day cruise service started to get better. I will give Royal another shot.

This is the 2nd 4-day BCer on this ship and we were greeted from staff that remembered us. This is our (backyard), so didn't get off in Naniamo (not much to see), but did stroll Victoria harbour for a nice walk in our hometown. So much to see without doing the "touristy" tours. We have done the 7-day coastal on this ship also. We love this ship for its tentative, happy staff and the casual ambience of it. We are sad to have cancelled our 22-day transpacific on her, as we know it would have been a great time. Will miss this ship and staff when they reposition to England and Caribbean.

The use of "washy washy, good for your tummy" to disburse Purell lotion to diners was both condescending to travelers and racial stereotyping at it's worst for the poor Asian woman who was forced to say it over and over at every meal, every day of the cruise. We hated going to the Windjammer to eat. The dining room service wasn't great either. We arrived on time, but waited 30 minutes for our order to be taken while the staff waited for others at our table to arrive, which most of them didn't bother. The 8 pm seating was nearly empty. It was over an hour before we got our food. Everything shut down during port visits on the ship, except bars and food. We were hoping to visit the shops when it was less crowded. Nope. Weather forced everyone inside the first day due to cold and wind and it was crowded everywhere. Not much better other days. Barely went over 68. Thick fog the whole first night led to hearing the fog horn blare every 5 to 7 minutes from the ship in warning to other vessels. We were in the front of the ship, so it was very loud, all night long. By the 4th day, the bathroom smelled so bad of sewer smell, we could hardly stand to use it. The ship was showing it's age with rust, ratty carpets and smell, but was clean as possible for it's age. We grew tired of the trivia games and kareoke very quickly. Finally, get the beverage package at least, but recommend the food package as well, as the outlining restaurants had the best food and service. First time on Royal C. and sadly, we weren't impressed.

Dinning room service seems to have been cut back. Appeared to have been short handed. (Looks like a corporate decision.) Service did improve as the cruise went on. Apparently there are limits on heating and cooling cabin set points which I do not consider reasonable when on vacation. (Again, looks like a corporate decision.) Lowest cooling limit was 71.5. Wanted lower for sleeping in interior room.

I am being generous giving this a 3 star rating. By far this was the worst cruise I have ever taken. My bed was hard as a rock, my cabin dirty, the coffee was not drinkable. The food in MDR was good but one night we came late after asking them to hold our table & they gave it away. I hate the constant up selling with staff walking around asking you to book their restaurants. I hated the lack of ice. What is that about? I never did get any in my cabin. The ship is actually beautiful & I wish we had a better experience. I only give this a 3 star because the staff was kind and the food mediocre. They really deserve a two.

The cruise we went on was amazing! the staff was amazing, kind and always helpful. The food was good and even better at chops and Giovanni's. The room was ordinary but we only slept in there and it didn't matter because we enjoyed the drinks and events each day. I would recommend this cruise to everyone!

We did my-time dining because we enjoy meeting different people. We enjoyed meeting lots of fun-loving, jovial, kind Aussies. Prior to the cruise, we spent 16 days in Australia. I could move there...everyone is so friendly, nice and funny. Great country! The food on the ship was excellent. The few nights when the dining room menu didn't have anything my husband nor I were interested in, we went to the Windjammer and had a delicious meal. Our cabin steward was probably the best we've had on any sailing.

Great cruise. Enjoyed ourselves immensely. Crew was amazing and food was great. Had a few excursions which were informative and enjoyable. Overall had a great time.

Whole family had an amazing time. Staff were brilliant. Food was always good and a big variety. The kids loved kids club. Can't wait to book out next cruise.

Fantastic family holiday. So much to do each day. Our children are 1, 6 and 13 years old and were never bored. The staff onboard were great, and spoilt our kids. Such a variety of food each day. It was our 2nd cruise and we are looking forward to another one. My only criticism wasnt with any staff or the ship it was with fellow passangers who complained and were extremely rude about too many kids on board. Unfotunately if you book in school holidays this is what is going to happen.

First but definitely not our last Cruise. Our experience exceeded our expectations and it was an amazing experience.

Great cruise with a lot of fun and entertainment for all ages.

I didn't like being confined. Was a little bored. And spent everyday vomiting with seas sickess. Not a good experience but can now say i have cruised before.

First time cruiser but had a great time. Staff were mostly lovely, the main dining room staff were the best! Honestly the Sapphire dining room was outstanding, I liked the specialty restaurants but there is no need to pay for them as Sapphire was excellent. Ship was lovely, lots of space & plenty of different areas to hang out in. Not too much entertainment on board, pianist in Schooner Bar and pool side band were my favourites of what was around.