joseph123

12 hours ago, tfred said:

I know the argument  -I would rather sit with my well behaved 8 year old world traveler rather than your drunk uncle.

Love this quote, LOL! My experience has been that even on cruises with few children on board, in warmer climates they tend to be in the pools just about all day splashing and having fun as children do, so that can make for a not so relaxing experience poolside if looking for a more chill vibe. Hopefully the one dedicated adults only pool at the front of the ship will suffice. It doesn't really seem like much of a pool? I would think Explora would make one of the aft pools adults only since there are four of them. Just hoping that all of the kids on board for my upcoming caribbean cruise will be the more well behaved type and there are not too many roudy, drunk uncles!

We are starting to get a peek at the design of the Explora II with photos of the new furnishings for the Helios pool area in their new Facebook ad. Looks like they have added a glass wall to address the pool overflowing issue?

Thanks. I did a bit more research and found the actual Explora bed width is 70.86”.

In comparison, US standard mattress widths are:

Twin- 38”

Queen- 60”

California King- 72”

King- 76”

So for anyone who may be interested, the mattress width on Explora is closer to a California King per US standards. I believe European standards are a bit smaller.

Anyone know the exact widths of the king size beds onboard? Many cruise ships promote their beds as being king size but they are actually queen size based on US standards. Was looking for the bed widths in inches on the Explora website to no avail.

Here is the complimentary by the glass wine list I found that was posted back in Sept. I am sure it changes fairly frequently.

Complimentary_Wine_List.pdf

I found anther post that included the full list of complimentary wines by the glass and it is quite extensive, so I am very happy!

Thanks for sharing. The wine choices seem very limited. Are they the only wines available onboard or do they offer different wines in the various lounges and restaurants?

2 hours ago, Noggins said:

It does seem odd that they would buy a few thousand books then let guests have a choice of, maybe, 4 (half are in a foreign language). Or perhaps the idea was to get guests fraternising and popping in and out of each others rooms? (Oh dear, maybe Maggie was after a sight of my books rather than my good looks.....😬)

Why could they not dedicate a back corner of the Explora Lounge to a small library or shared book area? Would not take a lot of effort to address the lack of a proper library space vs just having books available in staterooms.

I saw the video and was thinking the same thing. Does not seem to be enough loungers in the conservatory area, and I would think it would be tough to find loungers there especially if the weather is not ideal and the sip is full. Lots of sofa like seating. 

Does anyone know if the platform/deck at the rear of the ship serves any purpose for activities such as swimming/water sports? Looks like it could be. Have not read any mention of this and many small ships and yachts have similar platforms that they leverage for that purpose.

Anyone have any inside information on what changes might be made when Explora II is launched based on lessons learned from Explora I? Things such as increasing the amount of sun beds at the conservatory pool, providing more options for shade around the pools, more food offerings at the creperie/gelateria, variety offered in the shops, better entertainment, etc., all minor things that have been voiced as suggestions from those who have sailed thus far. Also wondering if the decor will be exactly the same or if they might change it up a bit. May have to wait until it is launched to find out?

17 hours ago, maggie.1008 said:

I think Heike will be on our cruise.

Just curious. Who is Heike and why would that make a difference? I have seen the name (or term if not a person) mentioned previously, and wondering what that is in reference to.

Happy to report that after a few call’s and emails I was able to get my cruise changed to the same itinerary but leaving and returning to Miami in Jan 2025 with no penalty. Getting a 9 day vs a 7 day cruise now for the same price, $3,180.00 pp. What a great deal!

Will be interested in hearing reports on how the ship fares with near or full capacity. Most have been reporting on far less passengers.

Thanks for that advice! I put a hold on the booking and hopefully they will honor. I would get two additional days at sea for the same price.

Thanks so much for this. I think I might be eligible, but will see what they say. I sent them an email and will call them tomorrow if I don't get a response.

I have a booking for a 7 night cruise Feb 2025 on Explora II and see that there is an option leaving in Jan 2025 at essentially the same price for 9 nights. Same itinerary but leaves and returns to Miami vs leaving from Miami and returning to San Juan. Wondering if Explora would let me transfer the booking vs having to cancel and loose my deposit? I tried calling them but they do not have weekend hours and I see the sale is ending tomorrow. Anyone have any similar experiences with them?

8 hours ago, uktog said:

There are so many pool options, currently shade is a little limited but that’s being addressed

Curious as to how you know the shade issue is being addressed? Are they adding more cabanas or awnings?

Yes. I just booked it on Black Friday. The same itinerary is still listed on the website, so not sure what will be changed.

I recieved an email a few days ago that there will be an itinerary change for the Caribbean cruise I booked for Feb 14-21, 2025 on the Explora II. Not sure what that will mean. It said information will be forthcoming?

Does not seem right that I would need to purchase a two catagory upgrade simply to have my beds seperated to twins. Do any of the the other premium lines require this? Every one of the 20+ cruises I have been on offered the option vs having to pay hundreds of dollars extra for an upgrade. Lots of friends/relatives do travel together and require this, not only people with kids who require connected rooms.

On 11/29/2023 at 11:05 AM, Alethers said:

She said that to rectify the problem they are looking to increase the plastic part that runs across the front of the pool….so at least they don’t need to rebuild it!

Is this actually a pool? Looks more like a large hot tub. Is it large enough to actually swim in?

Very interesting. Hopefully they will correct on this ship and the Explora II. Good to know about the children. Don't get me wrong, I do love kids but on vacation I like rest and relaxation. On the last HAL cruise I was on there were hardly any children on board but they monopolized the pool as most kids would. I will be interested in hearing reports on those sailing in warm climates when the ship is at full capacity. There does not seem to be enough loungers around the main pool where many might want to be, but luckily there are all the other options. The aft pools look amazing as does the entire ship. Stunning decor!

Just now, joseph123 said:

Aside from the Helios pool, which has an inherent design flaw,

Sorry for the double post...

Just wanted to pull this sentence and ask as to why you feel the Helios pool has a design flaw? I am curious since this has been designated the adult pool area over the three other pools. If there are children on board they tend to be in the pools quite often, so I do plan to spend time at the Helios pool if needed for the serenity. I would think they would have dedicated one of the aft pools for adults as many of the other lines that allow children such as HAL do.

From all the videos I have viewed on the Explora I it seems as if the shops on board are extremely high-end, Cartier, Rolex, etc... Just wondering if there is not a shop that just sells general sundries, books, snacks, souvenirs, etc? Would hope they would offer something like that as on option on Explora II if not on Explora I.