Explorer of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Reviews

The ship was amazing. Crew was Curtis and friendly. Weather was cool. If you are looking to take this cruise in April look at south Carolina weather because the weather is almost the same in temperature. Otherwise we had a great time.

We had an amazing time. The service was phenomenal from loading to dining to entertainment to staterooms to unloading. The crew has everything down to an exact science! You couldn’t help being in a good mood because the staff of the ship set a joyful mood. The entertainment was super. There was something for everyone. I did not realize we could watch the entertainment shows on the TV until it was too late to watch them. Next time we will be sure to tune-in. We might have had cloudy days, but with all the activities available we really did not notice it. We even set our minds to the fact that we were going to go to the Horseshoe Beach and lay on the beach in our bathing suits. We did-for about 30 minutes then we donned our jackets and wondered the beaches enjoying the sites. The 5 hour mini-bus tour of the islands was magnificent. The driver gave a super commentary explaining the life of the natives. Very informative! Do not go on the Pirate Glass Bottom ship expedition. A waste of your money and time. We wish there had been more choices of entrees in the main dining room. The white and red sauce for pastas had no flavor. It would be nice to have a guide explaining the elevator system and how to get from point A to point B. We had no idea that we could only enter our stateroom from the forward elevator and had to go to deck 5 every time from the aft and walk to the other elevator. Finally we figured it out on our own.

Perfect cruise to recharge one's batteries. Activities, service, and food were all first rate as you would expect from a RCCL vacation. There were numerous shows throughout the course of a day with first rate performances by talented entertainers. The service in the dinning room was excellent as the waiter and assistant-waiter were friendly and efficient. The food was good and available throughout the day as a light fare (pizza, sandwiches, coffee, tea, etc.) could always be enjoyed on the promenade level. The bartenders and waiters in the numerous "drinking establishments" were also extremely friendly.

The reason of top rating is because of the ship itself and its crew. No doubt that the crew showed their best in all aspect. Besides, excellent facilities of dining with wide choice of food. Also I liked the inside layout that very nicely organized. It should be mentioned here that the entertainment is really excellent and all performers showed their best of ability. For any next opportunity, I would certainly prefer Royal Caribbean Cruise but in another destination, probably Bahamas. I would, of course, recommend all my friends and relatives who would like to enjoy cruise vacation.

Overall the cruise was good not excellent. The Windjammer Food all taste alike and could use more flavoring. Dinners were excellent. Desserts were fair with not much flavor. Dinner service was excellent and was an overall lovely experience. Stateroom attendants were great and rooms were always clean. When the Casino was open, Level 5 was filled with smoke making it an unpleasant place to shop or gather with friends. Many activities were planned and most always entertaining.

I was hoping to have a great time on my vacation but, wasn't sure what to expect. Thankfully Royal Caribbean exceeded my expectations. From the time my family and I boarded to the time we departed a week later, we were treated like we were the most important people on the ship. The staff we had were phenomenal and the service we received the same. The activities on board provided fun for all three generations, individually and together. My son could do basketball, my grandson could do the arcade and I could play bingo. Later, we all could get together for the shows, movies, different games or theme parties. Again, THANK YOU.

Explorer of the Seas is a beautiful ship with all the amenities one could want. The food was wonderful. We had traditional 6PM seating and our servers, Nazareta and Dwayne were superb. Our stateroom was very nice and our cabin steward, Romdeo made sure our every need was met. There is plenty to do on the ship, excellent shows, shopping and plenty of bars. Having three days in Bermuda was nice as we got to see a lot more than if we were there for just one day. Great tours and wonderful people. Our only concern was the bed in our stateroom, It was very soft on the edges and we felt that we would roll off the side. Padding was added and that helped some, but it's time for a new mattress. All in all, a great cruise. Our first time on Royal Caribbean but we would certainly do it again. Looking at an Alaska adventure now.

Room was very comfortable Although ship was old but well maintained Food was the best part of our cruise F&B took special care of our 6 persons Employees were very courteous Cruise Director was very talented Our housekeeper gave us excellent service It was one of our best vacation

i choose this cruise so I wouldn't have to fly anywhere and because Bermuda was recommended. For on-board activities I was more of an observer than a participant (just my style). There were lots of opportunities for those that wanted to participate. The Cruise Director and Activities Director did a good job with the activities and the Love and Marriage game made me laugh so much my face hurt by the end. I was a bit disappointed with the food and service. My Time Dining service left something to be desired; a couple of meals were dry (salmon and pork); they need some simpler choices; and the after 9PM option is very limited (I'd prefer cheese and crackers, an apple or similar). I got around some if it by taking fruit and cheese from earlier buffets. As for Bermuda and shore excursions, I took 3 sponsored by the ship Catamaran snorkeling: It was my first time snorkeling, and other than a few minutes panicking (first time trying to breathe under water) it was pretty good. Crystal Caves, which I highly recommend, Aquarium and Zoo which are pretty generic--though there was the most vivid red bird I'd ever seen there. I'm not into generic/designer shopping so only spent a little time in Hamilton wandering around. Night glassbottom boat cruise was a bit chilly in early April but very much worth it. Guides were funny and informative and the view was nice--waters are pretty shallow.

This was our first cruise with Royal Caribbean. We enjoyed the cruise, however, after sailing 11 or 12 times with Princess, and a couple of times with Celebrity, I was very surprised at the lack of amenities in the stateroom. No drinking glasses or Ice Bucket in room (only glasses in bathroom); No writing paper or pen............ (How am I supposed to leave notes for the room steward???); No handcream; No bathrobes in room.... ( I was relying on them being there to wear back and forth to the pool, and to sit on the balcony!!!) I didn't think it would be appropriate to sit on the balcony, facing land, in my underwear!!!!; and NO CHOCOLATES ON THE PILLOW!!! Now, that is one tradition that I REALLY miss!!! When you boil it down, how much could it cost you when you consider the cost of the cruise??? Maybe 50 cents per state room for a 6 night cruise???? Come on now!!! If we, with our meager income can scrape together the cost of a cruise, I am sure you can scrape together 50 cents, ore even a dollar for chocolates. It really wouldn't even be too much for us to expect the additional amenities that I mentioned also. Other cruise lines do it............why not you??? Even if you added an additional $5 to the fare, we wouldn't mind, but doing it your way makes you look very SMALL in relation to your competitors!!!

I had an excellent vacation on the Explorer of the Seas cruise. I enjoyed the Cococay visit the most for the port we stopped at. But all my time on the ship was excellent. My cabin stuart was the best, she was very nice and helpful with anything we needed. All my dinning experience were great also.

We enjoyed the cruise, the ship, the food, the ports? Not so much. Nassau should be avoided. Our stateroom was roomy, the sliding door was a nice feature as it could stay open on its own. We loved the balcony. Service was good except on the Royal Promenade. Staffing levels were low in the eateries and bars and it was annoying to have to wait so long for a coffee or drink. The ship is older, however well kept. The service was great. Food was very good both in the Windjammer and the Dining room. Didn't feel Portofino was worth the extra cost however the murder mystery dinner was a lot of fun.

If you are okay with just hanging out and not doing much go on this cruise. I was expecting something to do at all hours of the day but I was disappointed when there was much down time.

The cruise was great...weather could have been warmer otherwise all was good. Loved the inside cabin, that was a first for us. The food was excellent The service everywhere on the ship was excellent. The bar tenders and waiters all knew our names right away. That means alot. The room attendant was so good I wanted to take her home with me. She made our room up so quickly there was nothing out of place.

This is my second cruise with Royal Carribean and third over all. I really enjoyed the first cruise about 10 years ago, but noticed that they have cut a lot of corners on this cruise. I wouldn't recommend getting the soda package. You have to carry a sensored cup around and serve yourself except at the formal dining room. You have to wait a certain amount of minutes between fill ups. Just not worth it for the price. We really enjoyed the excursion by speedboat at Samana, Dominican Republic. It takes you to their national park and you ride through the mangroves and tour through the volcanic caves then on to a beach. I don't recommend going to the straw markets in Labadee. The villagers hound you and pick pocketed our friend. If you want to shop, go to the large store by the straw market. They do not bother you in there and they sell most of the same things. Over all we enjoyed our cruise but will probably be a long time before we cruise again. We will try going directly to a resort next time only because we just didn't feel it was worth the money we spent and it was quite expensive with a family of six.

It was our first on Royal Carribean but have done 13 previous cruises, I would rate it as Very Good and recommend the Exployer of the Seas to everyone. The only negative was the Private dining at Portofino! It was far below expectations, the food was better in the dining room and the service was the poorest of the trip. I ordered Ice Tea and they brought Hot water, tea bag and a glass of ice!!! The resturant was completely unorganized and noisy. Carnival's upscale resturants were 100 times better. Other than that experience, great cruise, very excellent staff and an enjoyable 9 day event. I will do it again!

The Cruise was wonderful. The food was excellent. The entertainment was outstanding. We opted for a cabana in Labadee. It was amazing and I would do it again. You get a private buffet lunch, floating mats, cooler filled with ice cold water and your own waiter to get you your bar drinks or anything else you may need. Royal Carribbean put a lot of money into Labadee. I would stay there 2 days!!!! They should take Samana off the Itinerary. Not good at all. We went there with Norwegian and went to Caya Levantado Beach and they charged 14.00 per person. Royal Carribbean charged 58.00 for the same excursion. We did not do it this time. Those folks that went into town said it was dirty and would not do it again. It was a wonderful cruise and would do it again.

I enjoyed sailing on the Explorer of the Seas. This was my first time sailing with Royal Caribbean. The reviews I heard from my friends were really true. The ship is clean, the employees were extremly pleasant and professional.

We left New Jersey on February 17th for a week on the Explorer of the Seas. To start with this is our 9th cruise. We had 2 inside cabins, one for my wife and I and the other for the kids. The cabins were normal cruise cabins, small but enough room. When leaving from NJ it is cold. The 1st day at sea was cold but we just did a lot of inside activities. One tip for any drinker's going. I did the unlimitted alcohol package. That was awesome. It was $55.00 a day and well worth it. I got the kids their unlimited soda and everyone was happy. I have to say the cruise director was the best we have ever had on a cruise. His name is Richard Spacey and his side kick Frankie was great. My kids just adored them. The food was some of the best I have ever had on a cruise. On the lobster tail night I got 2 of them and I couldnt even finish the second one. They were way bigger than I have ever had on a ship. The seas were really good with a few hours of rough waters but not bad at all. We got into Port Caniveral at 1pm which really isnt the best. 1/2 the day is gone so you really cant do the space center or much. We met my father that lives in FL and we went to lunch and walked around so we enjoyed it but the mid day arrival is not for us. On Wednesday we got to Nassau and again at 2pm. In the bahama's everthing closes around 5pm except for food. We had a good time and walked around but didnt really do much. On Thursday we Coco Cay their private island. We did a Jet Ski tour that was awesome. Got a lot of sun and chilled out a little. Ended with 2 days at sea with lots of drinks, activities and shows. Ice show was great. All the shows were actually really good. Being from the Northeast it was nice to go on a nice cruise without having to drive to FL or pay the crazy airline ticket prices during February break. This was a great cruise and the price was very reasonable. I would do it again. Our Next Cruise is in July on Carnival going to Aruba. We are looking forward to that one already. To top it off I want to tell you that our agent from cruises only is the best agent you could ever ask for. She finds great deals and does her job better than any other agent I have ever used. To book your next cruise ask for Janet Castro at Cruises only. She does an amazing Job. She has been very good to us for all our 9 cruises.

really cool ship. very large. staff beyond friendly, super nice. I disliked the 24 hour buffet station. food was bad in my opinion, however the restaurants and dinning room eating options were excellent. great entertainment ( ice shows and B'way revue). There should have been more island stops, or longer time limits. did not like that we only had a short few hours in Florida, Nassau and coco cay island. also the excursions overlapped, so when you finally got to a destination, you only could do ONE thing...be it a sea adventure, tour, or shopping. would have liked to spend less time at sea....out of seven days there were a total of 15-20 hours on the islands....the spa on the ship is a huge rip off! over all nice trip....but realized we just are not "cruise people"