nrc

"Had" to eat at the Emporium Marketplace?? We ate at the Emporium Marketplace every lunch and dinner, with the exception of three dinners (one at Marble & Co, and two at Sakura.) It's not your ordinary cruise ship buffet. Last night I had beef tenderloin and lobster tail, both delicious. There are so many choices, it's sometimes very hard to decide! I enjoyed bouillabaisse and green curry seafood chowder at two lunches, fresh oysters and giant prawns at dinner. Roast lamb in several versions (with mint sauce or gravy). Lunch the first day was melt-in-your-mouth prime rib. The tables are set with glasses and cloth napkins, service is over the top (my husband complained that it took 15 seconds for someone to clear his plate one day at a very busy lunch... LOL.) Wine and other beverages are offered table-side. I am not a cruise-buffet woman. I was blown away by this spot.

We tried a small ship, Hebridean Princess, with 40 passengers, last year for a 10 day cruise of the islands along the coast of Great Britain between Cardiff, Wales and Oban, Scotland. HP is an older ship, with an older clientele, but top notch (with prices to match.) After Queen Elizabeth retired her ship, Britannia, she used to charter Hebridean Princess. That says something about the quality of the ship, crew, and service. This is HP's "second life" as she was a car ferry in her first incarnation. Age aside, she is a completely delightful experience. We just finished up 10 days in the Orkney and Shetland Islands, and hated to disembark. We've booked her again for a trip next year out of Dublin.

I totally agree!

There are children on board, from toddlers to teenagers, and all are surprisingly well behaved.

The ship is beautiful, our stateroom is spacious (Grand Penthouse) with living/dining separate from bed/dressing/bath rooms. We have a double balcony. Our room attendant is extremely helpful. The staff to passenger ratio is large. The staff/crew could not be more helpful. The food has been very good, with the exception of my husband's rib eye, at Marble & Co., which was tough. My filet was melt-in-my-mouth tender. The food at the buffet is extraordinary. The selection is broad, made to order pizza, pastas, salads, a carvery with prime rib and roast lamb that were worthy of a very high end restaurant. The tables are set in the buffet restaurant, with table service, staff who are extremely attentive, and a sommelier pouring wine. Last evening we ate at Sakura, which was also extremely good. (I ate the entire meal with chopsticks!) The Dim Sum potstickers were divine. The ship is remarkably stable. We are currently in the Greenland Sea, just south of the Arctic Circle, in 5-6' seas, and Explora 1 is handling it well.

I am now told that the 8/8 cruise is a go. I am completely exasperated with this experience.

I am just sharing what I've been told. My travel agent called me after receiving a call from her contact at Explora advising that my sailing date, 8/8, had been cancelled. I am now waiting to see when they will refund my fare.

She called me this afternoon saying that she'd been contacted by her Explora agent with the news. I will, of course, check again, but I'm not hopeful.

My travel agent just called to tell me that my Explora 1 8/8-15 cruise from Iceland to Denmark has been cancelled. She's trying to find out how they plan to compensate the passengers. For me, it means cancelling 3 flights and two hotel reservations, and figuring out how to spend the time before we fly home on 8/26. I really do know better than to book a maiden voyage....

I have just gotten off the phone with my travel agent, who tells me that Explora I is cancelled, until further notice. (We were booked on the 8/8-15 Iceland to Denmark trip.) She is finding out how Explora plans to reimburse passengers. Details to follow!