Explorer of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Reviews

it was a great time as far as Islands service was slacking a bit staff decent ship needs repair or upgrade Quest was fantastic drinks great not real handicap capable

Just came off 5 day Caribbean cruise with some good things to speak of such as the Dining staff, Cabin attendant and cheerful Starbucks Baristas.  But this trip when we boarded became a Spring break college PARTY boat.   The wise Marketing staff at RC apparently decided it would be best to sell open cabins to college spring breakers with a special deal that they booked over 2/3 of the ship and I even heard overbooked the ship by 600 passengers.  All the bars and pools were overwhelmed by these college students, those of us returning customers were left to bear the pain of extreme noise, constant drunken partygoers till 3 am or later in the hallways.   Most students were nice and considerate, but those that were too drunk, were very disruptive, loud MP music players and singing in the crowded elevators, throwing chairs and other items off the ship, climbing balconies to steals chairs.  ( We were told those responsible were kicked off the ship)   But there was poor monitoring, handling of the overcrowding of bars, venues.  I observed on many occasions students ordering 2 or 3 drinks at one time, while other customers were attempting to order one.  When we departed the ship back in Port Canaveral it took nearly 3 hrs to finally get off clearing Customs.    Those checking bags were left to the very end, over 3/4 of the ship and nearly all the college students were self assist and left ship before those that had scheduled departure times.  No coordination and communication by the crew.  They could care less, since this was last trip for the ship, as it was heading next to Europe for 45 day revitalization, The crew and company were already dismantling the ship during the entire breakfast and offloading, containers being loaded on decks, everything from rooms being removed etc... as we were trying to prepare to leave ship.   No obvious attempt by Royal Caribbean to impress potential returning customers.   They may loose many from this trip. 

Overall. cruise was very nice.  Staff was excellent and food selection was very good.  Only glitch was the internet.  No wifi in rooms only hot spots in certain locations.  we had an emergency at home and had difficulty communicating.  Prices very steep even with C&A discount.  Needs some refurbishing from age.  Port stops were excellent.

I love this ship, great open pool deck. The crew was great. I can't wait for it can back Port Canaveral. 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁

We really enjoyed this itinerary with a mix of days at sea to relax and ports that were new to us.  We especially enjoyed Bonaire.  The ship was the largest we have sailed on to date and we enjoyed it for the most part.  We especially enjoyed the Promenade in the middle of the ship where there were shops and bars.  On several evenings they had entertainment on the street and parades which were fun.  Even though its been a while since the ship has been updated, it was in good shape.  The ship is due to go into drydock soon for retrofit of several new cabins and other updates.  For the most part the entertainment was pretty good, but the outstanding show was the ice show.  It was first class and as good as anything you might see in Las Vegas.  One downside for us was the fact that when we first boarded the ship there were no staff to greet us and direct us to our stateroom.  We were on our own to search the ship.  We had selected anytime dining and did not pick a specific time online at home.  So we went to the dining room shortly after boarding the ship to make arrangements for dinner.  We were told to come back after the mandatory drill.  We did that and there was no one available at the dining room.  So when we arrived at the dining room that  first night for dinner, the line was a mile long and we told that the only times available were late in the evening.  It was a similar situation the second night.  By the third day we finally got a reservation for 7:30 each evening and everything went smoothly after that.  Very good dining room staff, but the food is really mediocre.  All in all it was a good but not great cruising experience.  Our cruise line of choice is still Princess overall.

Ship needs refurbishing but otherwise ok    shows were great. Food could have been better at dinner time  not alot of different selections. buffet selection could have been better.

This cruise started badly when we forgot our passports.  Some of the staff at the port were very short about trying to help.  We ended boarding at the first port.  The people in Curacao were very helpful, it was a nightmare trying to board the ship.  Our room and balcony were nice but worn.  Our steward was great.  Too many of the support staff spoke so little English that we sometime found it hard to get what we needed.  Prior to the cruise, I called Royal Caribbean and was told the ship would be renovated and this was a shake down cruise before the relocation to England which was incorrect.  Therefore the ship was very worn and somewhat dirty.  After 13 cruises with Royal Caribbean, I doubt we will use them again.  We have cruised many other lines and will probably stay with Princess.

Great ship. The food in the dining room was excellent; food in the Windjammer was not over the top. The ship itself was beautiful. Very clean. Entertainment every night was top rate. We had a great time!

The ship is very good now but will be better soon after it is refurbished.

good thing this ship is going in for updates. good entertainment options. only one meal was adequate. good room attendant. bartenders were not attentive.

Really disappointed with the cruise.  Evening entertainment was weak when compared to other cruises we have taken. We were hoping food and food service to be better than what we have had on Carnival and Norwegian. What we found was the evening buffet was marginally better, but the main dining rooms and the specialty restaurants were no better than the Carnival Liberty cruise we were on the week before.  There was not nearly enough tables in the outdoor deck areas.  We like to eat our breakfast and lunches on the open decks but the Explorer of the Sea had only a token number of tables. Both Carnival and Norwegian provide ample table/chairs for casual dining.

Finally, smoking was permitted in the Lido Pool area on the Starboard side. Having designated smoking and non-smoking in an open area is like having peeing and non-peeing areas in a swimming pool.

Long wait- over an hour at the port waiting to get off the bus and get into port terminal. The traffic was all backed up and slow. They need to fix that,  very annoying when you are ready to start your vacation. Explorer looks good for an older ship,  after the total remodel that is coming up it should be really amazing.  I didn't see any worn out areas of ship- maybe some areas need paint. We ( my two sisters and I ) had a suite ( my first time) and loved all the extra perks that come with it. Our luggage did not arrive before dinner - another first for me. Thankfully,  my sister had a carry on with 3 sundresses so we could dress nice for dinner. There were some minor items that were promised to suite guests that we did not see. Chocolates at turndown- never got them, last time I cruised with Royál, ALL guests got chocolates at turn down. Cutbacks? Slippers in the suite- none, pillow menu with four choices- nope. Seems trivial but when you so much extra for suite you expect to get your money's worth of what is promised.  The coffe pots/ water heater in rooms should be removed. No one uses them, even suite attendant said it would be easier to go to windjammer or promenade to get coffee. Other than that, we were quite spoiled. The room was kept clean. We always had enough towels.  The trip would have been great regardless, but the people we met on the cruise really made it fun and exciting. Met some great people that we hung out with each night, amazingly they were not Americans like ourselves but Brazilians. The food was great in dining room. We thought that originally there were to be two formal nights but learned there would only be one.  When lobster was not served on formal night I assumed we would not get any so I ordered it off menu paying an up charge the next night. It was not good- actually mushy. In addition they added another gratuity on top of it. We had already paid gratuities for dining room but I order and pay an upcharge to get a meal and pay an additional gratuity on top of that?  Made reservations for one night in Portofino. After paying a 25pp surcharge to eat there assumed everything but liquor would be included. When we received the bill , we were billed for sparkling water that We did not ask for and frankly I did not like it. Two of us also ordered espresso with dessert and were billed for those too.  Didn't feel like the promenade cafe offered the amount and varieties of food that I have  seen on  other royál ships at the cafe. Bar service at 19th hole was outstanding, loved the bartender - gave him our wow card. Costa Maya  was our first stop and we had booked all inclusive at YaYa beach club through shore excursioneer which set the tone for whole trip. So relaxing, layed on the beach, snorkeled, paddle boarded, drank margaritas all day and ate lunch right on the beach. Our waiter was very attentive and the owner was friendly. Great excursion !  We were told it is rare for the ship to go to Costa Maya- too bad because we would love to go to that beach club again. Booked Chankannab snorkel and tequila tasting in cozumel. The tequila was so smooth and lots of flavors I didn't know tequila came in. Our tour guide was very knowledgable and made it fun. Coco Cay was beautiful we booked a private cabana , it was nice to put our stuff down and not worry about it as you had to have a wristband to enter the area. The Quest  was funny as could be. Only went to one show- it was ok. The ice show however was very entertaining,  top rate,  incredible stunts they did and on a moving rink no less.  It's a must see!  All in all , this  cruise vacation was a success. 

This was my husband's first cruise so we made it one of the shorter cruises.  The departure port is closer to home that other ports here in Florida and the itinerary was almost irrelevant.... the main purpose was to see if he liked cruising so we could do more of it in the future.  The only worthwhile stop, for us, was Cozumel...but that was O.K. as we're not really beach people anymore. We had a balcony room that was very nice.  Our room steward was attentive and accommodating.  The diningroom service was Excellent! ....and the food wasn't too bad either.  There were several good shows, including an Ice Skating Show, so the evening entertainment got a "thumbs up" from us.  I've only been on two other cruises, both on other cruise lines and Royal Caribbean is as good as either of them were.

The Explorer is headed to an overdue shipyard refurbishment period. The passengers have taken their toll on her. Even so, she was clean and the staff was the most attentive and friendly we have have in many years.

friendly and helpful crew members, great care of our state room and in the dining room, cleanliness of ship, variety of activities to do. Also the best crew director we ever had in sixteen cruises!

We've been on the ship before. It was newer then. It is showing it's age. Everything looked worn. However, we understand that it will be getting some updating soon.

The ship is definitely a bit older, but they do a nice job keeping it in good shape. Unlike Norwegian!! You could not pay me to step foot on another Norwegian ship....The Explorer of the Seas was a totally different experience. The service was a 3.5 out of 5 starts, some great service, some okay and one bad experience. The room we stayed  in was on the promenade on the 7th floor. A great room people that stay out late every night or who can sleep through noise. If you are someone that goes to bed early this is not the room for you. There where 3 parties at night in the promenade. It was very loud.

The food on the ship was 3 stars...Not top of the line, it was just okay.

The mystery dinner show....$55 a head. The food was great, the show not so much. And it was never ending. The show lasted 3.5 hours. By the time the show and dinner was finally over no one cared who killed the guy. We all just wanted to leave.

WE loved the champagne bar, although we had one mishap...my traveling companion sat on one of the sofas one evening and landed on a 2.5" shard of glass. Right on her upper thigh. It did not cause sever damage.  The bartender Echo was very nice, but I had to go to guest services to get a bandage...no manager ever checked with us??

WE had a huge issue with the  photo lab. One of the 3 nights our photos where taken at dinner was New Years eve. We had a group of 6 traveling together, so there where group photos and couple photos. When we went down the next day we could not locate any of the photos. We finally found Sean and he helped us look for them. After 45mins total down there looking at everything, it was deduced that the photos had not been printed. Sean even had us look through his computer. He figured out that the photographer had not turned in his memory card for the night. We asked him to call when it was located. The next after noon we stopped by, Sean was not there we spoke To Le-Le, she did not know what we where talking about said she would investigate....we head nothing. The next morning and the day of the last formal sitting for photos we went back down and finally found a manager. It appears he had been out ill two days. When I went over every thing with him, he was a bit smug. Gave me the same we will call you. I told him I need an answer immediately as we would need to decide about going to the formal dinner tonight as we had purchased a photo package. He actually told me Sean had over stepped his boundaries by allowing us to see the  photos in the computer....That upset me....I stated to him that if I found out Sean got into any trouble for helping us for a half hour then he would be better off with a hurricane hitting the ship!! My wrath would be that strong. He backed down....I received a call a few hours later that the photos had been found. Unfortunately, half of them did not process due to photographer failure...this  included on New Years EVe group shots with hats, horns and leis!! 

Once again no manager of ship personal contacted us about this issue, although it stole away easily 2 hours of our time.

The ship is going in to dry dock this year ...so it will be over hauled. I am certain it will be lovely.

So, we had a great time however, there where some areas of concern.

All arrangements were efficient and on time. Ship was all that I expected with plenty to do and see. Cabin was very comfortable and cabin attendant was super.Meals were excellent as was the dining room service.All bartenders were friendly and most willing to satisfy. Loved the cruise  and would go again. Only draw-back was the enormous amount of second hand smoke in the Casino= I reached a point where I had to avoid it completely.

With four sea days and not much planned activities aboard ship be prepared to entertain yourself. We had no issue with this fact and found our time to be a chance to unwind and relax. There was a distinct lack of younger people and children which we attribute to the time of year and the newness of this itinerary from this port. Being able to see the southern caribbean ports without dealing with travel to Miami or San Juan was a plus that many people couldn't pass up. There was a very heavy participation from Florida residents as well as high level crown and anchor society members. The weather was perfect for the entire cruise but finding seats on deck around the spas and pool was never an issue.

The on-board singers and dancers were superior on this boat. Usually there is one decent singer but here there were four very good singers. The production shows were very entertaining and different from other boats so we were seeing fresh shows. Same with the ice show. This was different and up to the usual superior standard that this show has offered on other boats.

We stayed in cabin 6338 which is a balcony room. Fairly standard balcony room with everything in good shape and good working order. We had a flat screen TV whereas we had heard other say they still had CRTs. We attribute this to the ship replacing defective CRT TVs with flat screens as time goes on. During retrofit next year they should all be changed to flat screens.

The ships service people were also very good. However the guest services still fell short of that standard as has been our experience in the past. If you have an issue that you'd like to take up with guest services, don't expect a favorable resolution. Sorry to say they seem to use deflection as a standard response instead of correcting the situation. The ships are extremely efficient at billing you but never are willing to correct an error.

The food in the main dining room was no different than any other RCI cruise which is to say barely above minimum acceptable standards. We found the "starters" (appetizers) more appealing than the entries and most nights had no more than one entree that looked appealing (some previous experiences with the menus has ruled out certain selections).

This ship currently only has Portofino available and we did not eat there this trip.

This was our first time at Aruba, Bonair and Curacao. They did not offer a lot to see. You either like their beaches (which we did) and snorkeling (which we didn't do) or you have little left to do. However on the plus side is that taxi fairs were minimal ($5 per person to beaches we went to) when you joined others in a van type taxi. We had trouble finding this out prior to the trip and were led to believe you'd be paying high taxi rates. Each island had the same rates so it was no problem heading out on your own (at least not taking a ship tour). Eagle beach on Aruba was broad and long, very soft sand making it slightly harder to walk if you already have trouble walking on sand. Bonaire we went to Sorobon beach was smaller and had very shallow calm water since it is on a bay. This was perfect for younger kids. The persistent wind made it ideal for wind surfers who were quite prevalent. They were entertaining to watch. There was a rope in the water providing separation (protection) between wader/swimmers and the wind surfers. Plenty of beach chairs assuming you get there by mid day. And there was a bar to order drinks and food at reasonable prices. On Curacao we walked 10 minutes from the pier to downtown and spent an hour looking around before heading out to Mombo beach (near the sea aquarium). This has an entry fee and chair fee but the overall cost was fair. This was also was a nice beach with many more chairs available and food / drink available. 

We found the cruise to be everything we expected and did not find the ship to be run down due to age. Previous reports of high smoke content in and near the casino were true. Walking near the stairs down to the casino on the promenade deck was quite unpleasant. Too bad the air flow brought up the smoke to the promenade deck rather than sucking good air down to the casino.

it's great cruise, and better to more fresh air in the room.