Explorer of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Reviews

There is lots to do on board and the staff were generally fantastic; especially housekeeping, guest services and activities. RCL seems to suit families well (we have 3 kids, 9 to 14) and we had a overall great time. The pool water was a bit salty but there was always space to swim or spa and there were heaps of deck chairs. I loved the fact that there were lots of nooks and cranies so you could always find a quiet spot if you wanted. Activities were also varied and well staffed. However, if you are looking for high quality nightime shows (the ice skating show was very good but the in-house singers and dancers were terrible) or really good food and drinks, then consider other cruise lines. The complimentary dining options were overall average. Service and food in Chops Grille and Izumi were both exceptional. Johnny Rockets was also fun and again the service was great. It's worth buying a dining package but unless you plan to drink like a fish don't bother with beverage packages. Either way, it seems cheaper to buy them on board rather than beforehand.

Just off EOS. Ship great, cabin great, great amenities, best coffee afloat (Cafe Promenade), crew great (but dead tired - run off their feet), food disappointing in MDR. Food in 'Chops Grille' first class but paid extra. 'Chops Grille' food equivalent to complimentary food in MDR of Celebrity 'Solstice' and 'Equinox' in my opinion. Had hell of a time trying to get drinks in MDR, all other bars great service. Appeared to be no waiter service on deck nor food. Little stock in ship retail shops as replacement stock did not arrive before departure. Shows very disappointing. Best act was an Elvis show put on by a passenger. When compared to Celebrity and NCL lines I find RCI a great disappointment. I have 2-cruises with RCI next year - I hope they lift their game. I give both Celebrity and NCL 5 stars. Smooth sailing with mixed weather. We had to miss a port due to weather, no fault of ship.

Our experience was great, very impressed about the service, food was excellent all of the activities was well planned and very entertaining. I can't fault the whole experience that's why even we haven't finished the cruise we already booked our next cruise but this time we are planning to bring the whole family and very certain that they will enjoy it.

I have only been on one other cruise line beside rc and that's carnival. First of all I was recommended royal Caribbean by family friends saying it's more upperclass then the carnival so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Getting on the ship was fine it felt slow but their was a lot more people so understandable. Luggage came round 8 but that was fine super gentile when handling, the room tho... ahaha I got told it was much bigger then the carnival all lies, I got a room with a balcony so when I looked up the measurements online I assumed it didn't include the balcony 😂 the room wasn't impressive had to force the draws open and in one of them was a blob of foundation aha.

The cleaner for the room was awesome being a 20 year old I had a lot of late nights and mornings he would wait for ages until I left which was great because I know they don't have to do that.

Entertainment was the best /10. They had comedy a band and an ice skating rink seriously.

I had also purchased a drinks package which really worked out at the end I would drink $80- $100 worth of alcohol each day plus coffee soft drink and bottled water. What I didn't understand was if I sculled an alcoholic beverag at the pool bar I wasn't a loud to order another one for another 5 minutes wtf apparently I might go give it to a friend, why wouldn't I do that the first time then. Pool bar made the worst drinks avoid if you ever go on. Some not all bartenders were rude and just plain mean.

The casino was nice, again though with the workers their were a group of young Lebanese  men with their father looking at the tables seeing what they want to play and they stop at the crabs tables (I know that's not the name) it was all good until I saw the dealers face and he made eye contact with the other dealer and started speaking kroation and this sour attitude stayed until the men left this happened another three times.

I had an amazing time for first time on explorer of the sea. I cannot fault anything so much food and high quality in the dining and service was amazing. Ship was full as being Jan but we dealt with it. Getting on and off the ship was very efficient no long queues especially with the amount of people. Will defiantly do it again.

We had a great time on the explorer of the seas? The food was great we would do it again with them? The food was better than the carnival spirit food???

Such beautiful ship to explore. Crew Members were so friendly nothing was a problem. Although the lady who ran the scrapbooking class was very rude! The food was beautiful especially in the main dining room always got the 3 courses. Always heaps of fun and entertaining activities on offer but I just loved to relax beside the pool. Cant wait for my next cruise! 😎

Great ship for families. Plenty to do on board, entertainment is awesome! Be prepared to eat alot. Helpful staff, lovely to the kids. Can't wait to cruise again.

This was our first cruise and we were very impressed by the service given by all sections of the staff and the cleanliness standards Great ship Fantastic staff Wonderful Experience

We loved everything about the cruise, food, shows, activities, staff! Excellent

A beautiful trip. We really enjoyed it. Bellisimos places. A recommended cruise. You cant miss the Butchard Garden.

This was our first cruise experience! We had a great time! We even booked our next cruise on the same boat with our family! Good food. Good staff! Great experience

This was my second Alaskan cruise. The ship is beautiful and the crowd was something else. Everything was very clean and the food was tasty. The formal nights were exquisite. The night club was happening. Also very convenient for us from the Pacific Northwest!

The boat was okay, food was subpar. I wouldn’t chose RCI again as I feel the quality of their service has gone downhill. It wasn’t the cleanest boat. I did love our waitstaff in the dining room. They were great.

not your typical warm weather cruise, this is a must do for anyone who is in for some adventure and breathtaking scenery

A must see, Alaska is a hidden gem. One of my top favorite cruises. Ship was nice, crew were great.

This was a great cruise. Juneau was beautiful. We did the Tram and there isn't a lot at the top. Saw the short movie, which was good and saw a rescued Eagle at top and of course a souvenir store.  In Scagway we did the White Pass train ride. Great scenery here also. Town is small but several things to do here. Wife saw a porcupine and a bear was sighted a few times although we didn't see it. Going into Tracy Arm Forge is spectacular. We went to Dawes glacier. We got about 1/2 mile from the glacier and the ship did a 360 so anyone with a balcony had close view for pictures. It was fantastic. Also seals on the small icebergs that had broken off. Next was Victoria, British Columbia. Just did a little souvenir shopping here. On return to Seattle we took a taxi to the airport, $40 set rate to airport.  Make sure you have time cause there is a lot of traffic in Seattle.

The cruise was wonderful and more than we expected.  Was a bit disappointed with the headliner shows and wished we had longer time at Jueno and Skagway.  The staff was great...they couldn't do enough for you.  Kudos to all of them.  The ship was very clean and our rooms were kept immaculate...The views were spectacular...especially at Tracy Arm Fjord.  Thank you Royal Caribbean for making this a cruise I will never forget.

We cruised to Alaska last year on this ship. It was our first cruise, and we loved it. The staff was incredible and didn't know the word "no." Anything we needed, we got. The scenery was beyond expectations. The captain was entertaining, and I looked forward to his ship-wide broadcasts. The food was wonderful in the dining room, not a fan of the Windjammer so I just avoided it. We're going back this year with two couples, and are so looking forward to this trip.

I've never been on a cruise before, and after this experience I probably will wait a long time before doing another cruise. I could only describe it as being stuck with 3000 people in a 2-3 star hotel.  Food was less than impressive in both the restaurant and the cafe. All of the food places were closed after 9 PM and multiple times during the day. It took us about 3 hours of standing in line to get on the ship, and once we got on the ship there was no food places available. The staff almost knew English, and it was hard to communicate with many of them, although our room attendant and dining room service was good. 

We were surprised to be standing in so many lines during the cruise. There was actually a long line of people who were trying to get off the ship at 6:30 AM (the earliest time we were allowed to leave the ship). Many of the people seemed a bit disgruntled and (like us) wanted to get off the ship as soon as possible. That doesn't seem like the feeling that you're supposed to have after a cruise. There was another Celebrity cruise ship that went to the same destinations as us, and they never seemed to have any issues with lines even though their check-in times were all the same. 

For my sister and her family (with two kids both 1 and 3 years old), the cruise was outright miserable. The children programs ended at 5 PM, so they never were able to have a relaxing formal dinner. They had a kid play area, but my sister had to stay with them the entire time they were there. 

Alaska was beautiful and I loved visiting the area. The captain and his staff were great, but everything else about the cruise was way less than our expectation.