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@IWantToLiveOverTheSea Here is the answer to your question. There is a minimum bid. That is obviously in the Deep RED. As you increase your bid, the arrow starts heading for the green. It is indicating you have a better chance to win if you increase your bid. I have done this system many, many times. There is more strategy then this but that would convolute my answer to your specific question. Hope that helps. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

I just updated my Excel Calendar for my February 2025 Explora Journey Cruise. This is my page-at-a-glance. I then made a template that is editable for anyone that can utilize it. The color legend is on the bottom. I hope it helps anyone who wants it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment. Cruise_Agenda_February_2025_Explora_1_Calendar_Template.xlsx

@IWantToLiveOverTheSea This system is either the same or similar to NCL. Since NCL is the parent company, I would assume it is the same. I cruised NCL many, many times. The lower cost staterooms have a higher chance to go up a category or two for small amounts. As the cost of your stateroom gets higher, the cost get higher. Over the past few years, I have noticed that the "Upper end Suites" are sold out way before the ship departs. So to gain one of those, you have to hope for a cancelation or rare open inventory. Can happen but don't count on it. I personally always attempt to win a bid but I usually start from a penthouse. That means, I want an Oceania, Vista or Owners Suite. I will do this in October of 2025. I can say, I don't have much hope but it is fun to try as long as the amount I am bidding is reasonable to my budget. If I get it, GREAT, if not, I saved some money. Not everyone feels the way I do so to each his or her own. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

They both talked about that in this review and said, MSC refunded them and apologized. I like their style. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

This was a very specific question I asked with the call center. I am in the US so this might be different. I was told, i pay this when I pay my final payment. All that said, I check my account almost daily so I will see if they take the excursions off. Thank you for your heads up. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Dizer65 Step one, go to the Explora Website. Go the the upper left hand corner and select ship. I am on Explora 1 so that was the ship I choose. Step two: Select deck plan, your deck, and you will see the suites numbered. Look at the room you choose and see the color code or icon with that room. The legend is on the bottom of the page. See picture below. This gives you al the information you want. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@adelaidefc OK, so first on the twin bed question. Not every suite has this opinion however it is easy to look which ones do. You go to the deck plan, look at the legend and it shows the indication of which rooms have the twin beds. Usually these room have a tub for what every reason. Second issue, when you book and have your online account, you can go to preferences. Lots to choose from but specifically to your question, the firmness of your mattress. How I know this? I have a OS2 category, on the Explora 1, with twin beds and a soft mattress. Hope that helps. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

Hello All: As we approach our first cruise on Explora Journey leaving February 2025, I find it interesting how things have and are currently working. Here are a few things and I am finding. What I am hoping for from this feedback that confirms or corrects my findings; new information that will help me and other who are first time cruisers on Explora Journey; and GREAT tips to make our cruise that much better. Excursion Booking: My cruise is on February 2025 and I notice online that my excursion window was open. I attempted to book two excursions and got online errors. So I called and the customer service handled them both. What I learned was I could not use my On-Board-Credits pre-cruise so the amounts will be part of my final payment. Spa Treatment: Again, I have a nice amount of On-Board-Credits so I found out to use them for Spa Treatment, I have to wait until I get on-board. One would think this would be an issue but for me it is not. I usually book massages for port days not sea days so I really have an issue gaining a reservation. Just interesting how one cruise brand is different then others on On-Board-Credits. Pricing and Marketing: I watch pricing on all the cruises I go on. How do they fluctuate and can I gain a benefit as promotions and sales happen. I was able to take advantage of a recent promotion to gain more On-Board-Credit. However, it was a little complicated how they do this. It seems I have my old deposit in limbo until I make my final payment which is when it will be applied. Not upset, just their policy and now I understand it. I also noticed the most recent promotion is to gain one complementary Anthology Dining Experience if you book now. Yet with that came an increase of $200.00 per person in the fair. Welcome the the Marketing department and the games they ALL Play. Website: At first, I could not get on and it would not accept my email. Then bingo, it was ok. I am not saying this is the best website I have ever been on. But at least I can see most important things. Lots of work to do to make it first class. YouTube Videos: This were hard to find and one couple did most of them. Yet a few days ago, a very popular group of two men did an excellent video. Like all YouTubes, take everything with a grain of salt but for me, very informative. Here is the link: Dining: Making Reservations for Restaurant Pre-Cruise: Any help on strategy would be appreciated. Thanks to all. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

So I am looking for clarification. If we have OBC and we want to use the, book the spa treatments when on-board, not pre-cruise. If you book pre-cruise, you have to pay with your final payment and or if applicable, when you book it. Your downside is on sea days, you might miss out. Do I have that right? Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Lunesse In the past, for years, the Haven Restaurant menu did not rotate from day to day. On some cruises longer then 7 days, on occasion, they would offer something else. Danny is great at video tours, one of the best. He is not so great on these finer details. Enjoyable never the less. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Salvelinus Ports on most cruises is like a GREAT appetizer. We did ports on Oceania in the Mediterranean. Love it but if lots of travel was involved, we stayed locally or on the ship. In Rome it was a short train ride. Now I went back with my daughter about six months later for a land trip. Stayed in some of the same places for 2-3 days. That is an entree. Now that I have done both, both have pros and cons. I also would do both again. If the good lord will give me the shot at it. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@sullaRaffaello Thank you for your feedback. It sounds as if you have traveled all those lines, as I have traveled most of them. This thread is for "First Time Cruises" for information so they can enjoy their cruise to the MAX. My phrasing and goal was to establish categories, none of which are official in the industry. I have cruised on Crystal and I think if my memory serves we met at the pool. I may be mistaken because that person has a different name. Regardless, Crystal from my opinion is a "Luxury" Brand. I would not consider it to be a Premium-Plus so on that we totally agree. However, some things are better and some are worse on Crystal when comparing a brand you mentioned like Regent Seven Seas which is as close to an all-inclusive brand as possible. That would fall under "Ultra-Luxury", IMHO. Now back on track. My point was NOT to debate brands, my point was for the "First Time Cruises" to be open to the categories above Mainstream and A-Ship-Within-A-Ship. To add to my point, sometimes, again sometimes when you evaluate all you don't have to pay for on a Premium-Plus or Luxury Brand, the prices are competitive. Thank you again for your comments, much appreciated. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@Hlitner Wow. GREAT. Thank you. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@CDR Benson So sorry for the late reply. I am like you, I research everything. Sometimes the research is more fun then the product. On location. I tend to agree with you on location. However, I find this much less and issue on the smaller ships. I have truly enjoyed Oceana. Size, investment when using sales, itinerary. Mr. T and I are doing another 10 day journey to he Met in Oct 2025 with our best friends. I will let you know how Explora Journey is when I travel in February 2025. The key to this platform is sharing. It helps us all. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

@commodoredave Allow me to do a different take on this. Initially, Cruises have created a class system. Whether a special dinning room or a walled off area, decks for those that could afford it. Then most of that was transitioned out. This brought first the notion everyone was treated the same when they left their state rooms. Ships got bigger which is an understatement and with that comes very strict policy and procedures that did not lead to any personalized service. More like a cookie cutter approach. The cruise line was looking for a way to increase profit and in doing so attract a different demographic that has more spendable funds. The Notion of a Ship-within-a-Ship was created. If my source, a retired captain of NCL is correct, it was originally created by NCL in the form of the Haven. This VIP section with butlers, private upscale dinning, sundecks, pools and hot tubs was created. It cost upwards of 3X the normal fare. It provided all the amenities the huge ship had plus a much more luxurious private area. Other brands came on board. WHY, Profits were huge for this area so why not. This area was the first to sell out indicating it was a wise business decision. Reality, we went back to the old days. Now many brands do some or all of the strategy. You named one in Cunard. Any time you have something that is something that you pay extra for like all your dining on a cruise, this concept has a part of. Some other lines now offer early boarding for a price. Early exit for a price. Specialty Restaurants for a price. Thermal Spas for a price. The list goes on. All say, you can have this stuff if you have the cash. Cash and budget equals class in the context of this description. When you see someone move past you and get on the ship early, only for an example, it creates a resentment. Add all the other items where someone paid more, and got more to this list. Now, I don't feel this way, but many do. When you consider some brands, once you leave your stateroom, everyone is treated the same. So drink packages, internet packages, specialty restaurants included, thermal spa included and the list goes on. Now brands like Oceana are hybrids. Want the thermal spa, you have to be in the Concierge category or higher or it cost you. If you are in one of the three upper end suites, you can get 8 guaranteed specialty restaurant reservations instead of 4 (just an example). So, the more you pay, the more you get. However, the percentage of amenities are far less then on the Mainstream Cruise brand. The entire ship is like a Haven On Steroid when you get to this point. Don't worry, it is not free, there is a premium. Especially for Luxury and Ultra-Luxury. The difference is it is closer to everyone being treated the same. Key word closer. That is the point, always there but closer to everyone in the same so called class. The motivation in all cases for the cruise brand, Increased Profits. Cruise well and enjoy every moment.