flyerbrp

We stopped briefly at the factory/showroom. It was more of a showroom and gift shop than a factory. There was one craftsman doing some carving but for the most part it was a 20 minute stop at a gift shop and bathroom break. But I am not complaining.

Regarding tenders, Portofino and Kotor were tender ports. We experienced no issues and had minimal delays. The tender was a little rocky from the ship in Portofino but not excessive. The crew did an admirable job keeping the passenger flow well organized. Several ports are a distance from center city, Florence and Messina come to mind. Revenna was a 2 hour bus transfer to Venice. We did our transfer to the airport through Celebrity. Luggage and disembark was seamless and painless. We did all of our excursions through Celebrity- maybe a little more expensive but disembarking at the ports received priority and we had nor worries of missing the ship if we were late returning. The excursions were well run-Florence we did the train and walking tour/shopping. Lots of fun. Messina we did the Mt. Etna and Taormino walking tour. Awesome tour guide and experience. Naples were went to Pompeii. Lots of walking very crowded but interesting to see it once. We walked into town after we were dropped off at the ship- 15 minute walk from the ship to the shops. We had about 3 hours of shopping. We stopped at a sidewalk cafe for Cappuccino and sweets. Several ports ran shuttles from where we were docked, Florence, Naples, Brindisi, we were docked in industrial area of the ports. Celebrity ran free regular shuttle busses. Kotor if you have an opportunity go to Perast and a boat tour to the Church Our Lady of the Rocks. This was the second time to Montenegro-one of my favorite places on earth. If you go to the old city for shopping or lunch which I recommend stop into the rug store Silk and Silky. Say hi to Max and enjoy some excellent apple tea. Tell him Brian said hello. Split the first time we were there (on Virgin) we did a walking tour of the old town. This time we ventured out on our own. We walked from the pier to town (15 minute walk) and shopped on our own and revisited the Uje Restaurant for a wine tasting and lunch (the bread, olive oil and wine is superb. We brought home a bottle of each. Awesome place-do the ship excursion if this is your first time. The guide will take you through the castle which is worthwhile to see. Again, I add we cruise regularly and this was one of our best experiences- not perfect but we would do it again in a heartbeat. June 8-15 we are sailing in Apex doing the Norway Fjords and July were are sailing from Port Liberty to Bermuda. Hopefully this helps-sorry my response to you is late, I haven't been on Cruise Critic in a few weeks. Busy packing for our next adventure. Brian

Just walked off the Constellation in Revenna and boarded our bus to Venice Airport. This was 10 Day Rome to Ravenna.From start to end the cruise was fabulous. We are Elite status so we have been on many ships. On this cruise we were in a Veranda cabin deck 6. Absolutely no complaints. We sometimes sail Aqua or Concierge so we have a little perspective. To answer the question about shower curtains, yes no door in our cabin. The food in main dining was very good. Never a bad meal but food is always subjective. Our servers were absolutely top notch and in many respects the whole experience rivaled or exceeded Blu. The entertainment was over the moon based on several past cruises. From Domenick Allen to Rikki Jay, Lifford Shillingford, Leanne Mitchell and Roy Tan the theater shows were superb. Ports were awesome albeit very very crowded. Two tender ports but handled efficiently. I don’t like tendering but I don’t fret over things I can’t control. We did excursions pretty much every port. I would be happy to answer individual questions. Embarkation and debarkation were seem less, flawless and absolutely no delays. Absolutely no line getting off on on to the transfer bus for the 3 hour ride to Venice. Several ports are very far from city centers etc but shuttle buses were provided. Again I don’t fret what I can’t control. Several ports are actually unwalkable. The ship is beautiful. It was clean but the actual refurbishment was limited to common space. Cabins were not refurbished so our while very clean showed signs of aging. Again very clean and our attendant did a great job of keeping it clean for us. We used the laundry service for the first time ever and it is something we will do from now on. And for you Blue Chip members the casino was very generous to us and thanks to Jasmine for keeping the casino fun.

Just got off Liberty yesterday (6-25) from Halifax and yes it is fixed. Flowrider was operating the entire cruise.

The "clam" machines seemed to be popular and paid well. I hit a nice jackpot on a Buffalo machine. Brought back a nice IRS tax form to remember the voyage. 😉

No Playmakers.

Yesterday was a pleasant sea day. Dinner last night at Extra Virgin was superb. I had the strip steak, pasta and salada. Cooked and prepared perfectly. My wife had the pork which she reported as delish. Afternoon was spent at the arts and crafts event and then the onboard coffee tasting and demonstration. This morning we arrived in Puerto Plata. We arrived after two Norwegian ships the Sky and the Escape. The port is a mad house. While not necessarily Virgin’s fault, our excursion was an hour late leaving because of the chaos of 12000 people all trying to queue up at the same time. The wait now at the distillery is over an hour. My advise to all is find out in advance how many ships are in port together and plan accordingly. Tomorrow the tour operator said 5 ships are due in. After 30 some cruises this has been the most dis functional tour ever. Not ruining my vacation but be informed. Hopefully there is better organization in our next ports of call. Again I am not blaming Virgin I am only reporting the facts live from Puerto Plata. To that end our previous cruises on Virgin to this island were flawless so I understand things do go wrong. Hopefully Virgin is proactive to solve this issue.

Also I wanted to respond to the question of boarding early. We don’t have any special status on Virgin except for casino status. No Suite guest or Rockstar so boarding early was maybe just luck but just the same our queue for the 2:15 time slot was opened up early. Virgin has a pretty good system where time slots are stanchioned off in lines posted by your boarding times in 15 minute intervals. And since all the pre-board issues like security photos and credit card information is done in advance check in was a breeze. A quick stop at one of the checking positions to get our wristbands and boom we were on our way. Apparently they processed the 1:30 and 1:45 passengers quickly to allow us on a little earlier. We were group 8 to board. This might not be the norm but hey I appreciated the gift. Also as an observation the ship is full, at least more so than our Thanksgiving cruise on Scarlet last November.

Gumbae last night was lots of fun and we had an awesome meal. So much food cooked at the table. The hibachi shrimp and beef short ribs were superb. We met some very nice table mates as well and enjoyed the icebreaker Gumbae game we all played. What fun. After dinner the casino called. The casino is small but we had no issues finding a machine. Since I am a non smoker I was pleased to find the casino Smoke Free. A Virgin signature followed at 11pm, the Pajama Party. There were about 500 guests of all ages dancing and enjoying drinks on the 16th deck aft in our pjs. We had a ball. A glorious party under the stars in one’s pjs. This is our second Virgin cruise, our first last November was on Scarlet. So far Virgin is maintaining its brand of an adult only fun product. By the way we are Diamond Plus on Royal and sail Royal and Celebrity regularly but Virgin is an awesome change of pace. Today is a sea day, Easter on the high seas. We are doing arts and crafts later this morning after breakfast in The Galley. Then casino and sun time. Dinner tonight is in the Test Kitchen. More to follow tonight.

Just boarded this pretty ship. Efficient boarding 30 minutes early. Boarding time was 2:15 but let us on at 1:35pm. Muster completed and enjoying a drink. Lunch at The Galley was good. Pastrami sandwich was decent. The desserts were amazing. A s’more parfait was over the top. More tonight after Gumbae.

This is our last day. It is sea day so sun and some casino time is in order. Last night was lobster night and we ordered our lobster and a New York Strip for our usual surf and turf. The service has been impeccable. Absolutely no complaints. We have been eating lunch and dinner in the MDR. Food has been good. I can’t report on the Windjammer as we have not gone there since boarding day. Late night pizza at the 24/7 Cafe Promenade has been good as usual. The entertainment has been good. The Alley Cats were great and last night Zoe Tyler was phenomenal. What a voice. Our cabin attendant continues to provide excellent service and leaves us a daily towel animal. Our excursion in Aruba, the Kuckoo Party Bus was awesome and we spent some beach time and shopping. Explorer, one of my favorite ships, still needs continued refurbishment and I understand she will get some more attention next year. We just booked her for January 2024.

I left the casino at 1230. I was at the Promenade Cafe waiting for pizza. The fighting started close to 1am and the youths were running through out the area well after 1am. You missed the point. This not about the time of day, this is about a lack of control of these teens. Groups were still carousing the upper floors when I went to my cabin at 2am.

I have been reporting my week on Explorer. Our dinners have been good. Entertainment has been great. The casino has been kind. Weather and shore excursions were superb. There have been reports and discussions about unruly behavior by gangs of teenage passengers including cabin door signs and decorations being torn off, all elevator buttons being pressed and other mischief. Since I did not witness these acts myself I chose not to include any of these “rumors” in my original post. Tonight changes this. At 12:30am I exited the casino and walked up to the Promenade for pizza before going to bed. While waiting for the pizza approximately 20-25 youths came running down from the elevator and met an opposing group of youths. That’s right, I found myself in the middle of a scrum causing security to be called to break up the melee. I write this in hopes that Royal will do something proactive. Why is the 1am curfew not being enforced? Where are the parents? The kids should have been escorted to their family cabins and everyone including the parents should have been confined to quarters for our last sea day. Room service could deliver meals. Parents need to responsible. The ship crew are not baby sitters. In my 30 cruises with Royal over the last 20 years I have never witnessed this nonsense on a Royal ship. I love this company. I am a stockholder. I am Diamond Plus and Prime. But sadly we took our first adult only cruise on Virgin this past November and the experience was so great we are booked for Easter. We are booked on Royal in May to Alaska and Bermuda in June so I am not leaving Royal but I hope Royal doesn’t look the other way because there are some very angry people on this ship PS It did not ruin my vacation but I do have concerns about my safety.

Currently pulling into port Curaçao. Yesterday was a fun day In Bonaire. Did the glass bottom boat excursion and then did some shopping. Sea salts were the big attraction. We ate lunch along the harbor At It’s Raining Fish. Fabulous place. They get their fish from the boats right across the street. Certainly will go back on our next island visit. Explorer still is delivering a fabulous time. Our dinner service by Devan our waiter has been as best as on any of our previous 23 cruises. Food while not gourmet has been good. The chicken parm last night was delicious. Portions are plentiful. Absolutely no issues ordering multiple dishes from appetizers to desserts. We watched the movie Elvis poolside last night. We did not go to the ice show. Saw that last month on the ship. Not to be missed is the Disco Party on the Promenade. It was an absolute hoot. The casino continues as a love-hate relationship but I earned enough points to do this again. Casino host is very gracious. I can’t evaluate the Windjammer since we haven’t been there since boarding day lunch. We have been doing room service breakfast on our deck. So far so good- a little crowded but we have met some nice people. So as I keep saying a day at sea beats not sailing. PS the weather has been great, sunny and warm but not hot. A sun shower in Curaçao the did not last long. It has been windy so the sea has been choppy and while we can feel some motion it is not uncomfortable. Here’s to a great day in Curaçao.

The wind is really blowing. Over 20 knots. Explorer is rocking a little. Choppy seas but still better to be on the ocean than not. Disco dance lesson poolside to get us ready for tonight’s Disco Fever on The Promenade. Tonight’s stage show is Two Funny Guys. Saw them last month. They are funny. Food continues to be fine. Service has been good. Casino decided to be mean today. Hopefully it is in a better mood tonight. Happy sailing.

WiFi is on and off. A little struggle. At the Top Tier event. Great band. Some housekeeping items to share on subjects discussed on the forum 1 No issues on ordering multiple appetizers, meals, or desserts. Eat until you can’t eat anymore. We are enjoying all of favorites. Food has been fine. Tenderloin last night was great. 2. Our room attendant stated the room attention is once a day unless in a junior suite or higher (we are junior suite). He comes in once In morning and once at night. 3. Diamond Suite has been great and fully functioning. Food was good. 4. Captain explained the dry dock. Mini golf was ungraded, slides installed, many cabins were upgraded with new curtains and bedding. More to be done next year. Many plumbing items replaced. Pool upgrades. So time to get to the sun. Casino later which has treated us well. Bonaire tomorrow. Need to visit Next Cruise and Casino Royale to book our favorite ship in Europe.

WiFi is on and off. A little struggle.

Second day on board this amazing lady. Sailed through an awesome thunderstorm last night. Watched the lightning show from our balcony. Impressive. Sunny and warm today at sea. Breakfast and lunch was fine in the MDR. Did the Taste of the Caribbean rum tasting. Emanuel and Made did a fabulous presentation. Wifi has been difficult. So far that is my only disappointment. Bought a 1 device for the entire cruise. WiFi keeps going on and off. Formal night tonight for dinner. And a stage show after. 50’s and 60’s in the Schooner Bar as well. More later.

Second day on board this amazing lady. Sailed through an awesome thunderstorm last night. Watched the lightning show from our balcony. Impressive. Sunny and warm today at sea. Breakfast and lunch was fine in the MDR. Did the Taste of the Caribbean rum tasting. Emanuel and Made did a fabulous presentation. Formal night tonight for dinner. And a stage show after. 50’s and 60’s in the Schooner Bar as well. More later.

Picture of the straw on Explorer. Plastic but biodegradable.

Dinner tonight in MDR was fine. A little slow with service particularly drinks but first day jitters is to expected. Prime Ribs was good. Decent portion. My wife had the strip steak and she said it was good. We ordered 2 appetizers each, crab cakes and salad. No issues. Desserts were good too. Casino luck tonight so I have a little working capital for tomorrow. Diamond Lounge was a tad crowded but no issues. Good happy hour food and drinks. So far the ride is smooth and enjoyable. PS we were late leaving Miami. About 90 minutes apparently due to a paperwork snafu. Captain said no impact on arrival to Bonaire on time. A day at sea is worth more than a day on land anytime.

We actually boarded at 10:30am.

Just boarded Explorer of the Seas. Sailing at 4pm. Fresh out of dry dock. We were on her in January for her last cruise before her visit to Spain. She is especially clean and certainly refreshed. We are in a junior suite which is lovely. Carpet is freshly cleaned and walls washed. Doesn’t appear much was changed on The Promenade. Lunch was in the Windjammer. Usual fare. Food was typical buffet but good. They were carving beef which was good. Boarding was efficient and quick. No lines which is surprising because the ship is full. 15 minutes from drop off to onboard. We arrived to the port early and there was no issues with boarding before our reservation time. My only complaint is that the ship is packed but hey as a stockholder I like that. Hopefully by tomorrow everyone will get into a groove and things will settle down. Muster was very quick as was Zoom set up. We are Diamond Plus and Casino Prime. Casino is not open but an early visit to an empty casino shows some new machines. And at this point we have not visited the Diamond Lounge but we will later. The sliding board is installed and looks like fun. As time allows I will offer updates. 2 sea days and then Bonaire. Bon Voyage.