kool kruiser

On our back to back, one excellent cabaret violinist performed in both 7 day segments. The second 7 dayer had an additional motowny 3 girl group, so 2 in the 7 days. The first segment also included Tanya's superb solo show, every bit as good as a guest entertainer.

Thanks Rob, really helpful. Not quite the sing a long advertised, perhaps🙂. Fingers crossed that Joel may be back when we sail...

Back after a rather hectic few days, so onwards and upwards... Enrichment and Entertainment This is my purely personal take on the story thus far. When Explora was launched, the corporates had a very clear vision as to what the line should be offering, to enhance their image of differentiation from other lines. They fully expected, as with silly Exploraspeak, for everyone to buy in to their ideas. What perhaps they did not factor in sufficiently was that the vast majority of passengers would not be first timers but rather regular cruise folk, either from other luxury or mid-luxury lines or ship within a ship offerings. The passengers clearly felt that this aspect of the Explora product was unacceptably poor. I was able to chat freely with the CD Tanya, who I personally found to be warm, lovely, very approachable and willing to listen. I have no doubt that the failings have been fully recognised and that we can expect a continued evolution until the offering meets passenger expectations. We noted changes, all for the better, happening during our 14 night stay and these continue to take place, judging from current postings from those onboard. We came with very low expectations in this area but we enjoyed things much more than envisaged. Some new ideas worked better than others, of course. However, what is important is to feedback ideas so that senior management can (and I have no doubt that they WILL) listen and continue development in this area. I will therefore refrain from making too many comments on the offerings provided for us, as they will clearly be different to yours. I feel it is unfair to evaluate too closely whilst we are in such a developmental phase. What I will say that each venue's acoustics were excellent, we loved the main cabaret lounge and the observation lounge, both magnificent and beautiful settings. The Billy Joel tribute show is an obvious winner and the guest cabaret artists were very well-received. We loved Tanya's 'live' name that tunes and the terrific cocktail pianist Nataliia. The house band were really good and we thought the resident singers fine, although I acknowledge that others do not share these views. Tanya's solo show was tip top as well, although, as a CD, her ''fizziness'' could perhaps be toned down a tad. One of the true delights in cruising is being able to engage with those providing our enrichment and entertainment and we found all those to whom we spoke to be truly delightful and engaging. I know, a slightly different diatribe today but I hope you will understand.

Many thanks...sounds quite intense but definitely one to try next July. Cheers !

Noticed an unfamiliar name, at least to us, in the Avenue. Any thoughts guys ? Thanks !

Rob Great that you are both having such a great time. What's in the martini, please ? May have to try as an alternative to my usual Jade, when onboard in July. Can only Abzul make it or is it now an established concoction ?

More musings... App and Daily Programme We could not use the app pre-cruise for check in due to a mismatch between our forenames used for the booking and those in our passports. However, it was fully operational onboard. We received the printed daily programme in the customary manner each preceding evening. Incidentally, the wifi throughout the ship was absolutely fantastic. We loved..the fuller details of that day's activities and those for the following day in the app. Ditto the tour excursion details. Room for improvement...The restaurant menus in the app do not mirror those in the actual restaurants and do not seem to pick up any menu changes.The daily programme has too few details of each activity, although I understand this is currently being addressed. The printed programme is on very poor quality paper. There is very little information on the ports of call, just a very brief blurb and the port agent details. Gym and Spa We do not use the spa so unfortunately cannot comment. The gym has great Technogym equipment and a small fitness studio. We loved...the peloton-style spin bikes, with some pre-loaded programs. The range of equipment. The provision of a ''wellness'' instructor eg yoga, meditation,pilates,etc. Room for improvement...an enhanced fitness program, currently limited and repetitive. Spin bikes on the outside deck seemed to be purely for aesthetic reasons. Who would use them in hot or adverse weather conditions ? Swimming pools We only used the conservatory and infinity (Astern?) pools so cannot comment on the others. Will be interesting to see how they cope with higher passenger loadings. We loved...the large conservatory pool. Each pool having its own dedicated bar. The fab unique jacuzzis. The beautiful photogenic infinity pool. The pool and general deck furniture with those double loungers, no upcharge no reservation cabanas, etc. Room for improvement...unsure of the solution but the conservatory area has a quite oppressive atmosphere, either with the roof open or closed. The conservatory big screen was only utilised one evening for a ''silent'' film, whatever that means and for trailing that day's main lounge show, although the poorly received marketing stuff has been discontinued. That's all for now. Due to other commitments next instalment in a few days time.

On we go...with no explora speak, of course !! The ship Wow, wow and wow !! For us, the ship certainly lived up to the rave reviews given by ''real'' passengers on previous cruises. As the ship was only about three months old, we had expected to see a lot of snagging taking place, which would have been quite understandable. Aside from the Helios pool, which has an inherent design flaw, we saw none whatsoever, although I gather that some matters may be in progress currently. No idea what they may be, Reference has been made to the signage around the ship. We found this to be perfectly clear and rather classy. Perhaps the guest relation desks could have some signage, ditto the tour excursion guys and the dining reservation desk. No great shakes as a query to a crew member made them easy to find. We thought the design throughout was magnificent, the decor and furnishings being absolutely stunning throughout. The ship's layout is quite unusual and is definitely a departure from the traditional layout. The lifts are very quick and very spacious. We loved... the sheer class ! Room for improvement...The three taps in the loos are counter-intuitive and should read, from left to right, soap, water,dryer. Currently they are back to front. Whilst speaking of loos, the operation of the single cubicles on deck is SO difficult to comprehend and some plain english guidance would be useful. As they are prone to malfunction, a phone inside would be helpful to summon help. The crew are aware of this and, when I explained why I was loitering outside when my wife was occupying, they quickly offered to stand outside on guard duty so that I could go myself. Impressive as ever. Finally, the discarded towels should be emptied more frequently, as they were often overflowing in the bin. Our cabin For us, we only need the cabin to sleep, wash, etc change and relax on the balcony. We never dine in our cabin or use room service if we are in good health. Thus, we cannot comment on these aspects, although we thought the room service options seemed very comprehensive and there was also the usual breakfast order card to hang outside the door. We stayed in an entry level OT1 which we found brilliant. The cabin creaked a bit when the seas were less than smooth but we managed without too much difficulty. At this stage, a shout out to our terrific cabin attendant Roy is called for, so kind, helpful, friendly and efficient. We truly hope that he gets promoted in the fullness of time. Our cabin was above the Crema cafe outside smoking area, although we were not bothered by any smells during our particular cruise. We loved...the spacious balcony and lovely furnishings. The super-sized shower. The terrific light dimming system. The large, easy to operate safe with it's horizontal positioning in a drawer for ease of access.The provision of a kettle, as well as coffee maker, with ample supplies. The recessed storage of cutlery, ice bucket tongs, cups and saucers, etc, thus avoiding them rattling...great design. The night lights and two usb ports and charging pad on both sides of the bed. The large TV. Room for improvement A further night light is needed in the dressing area outside the bathroom. Please put a clothesline in the shower. The usual information guide was notably absent and would be useful...this could include telephone information, a ship plan, useful ship information etc...you know the score !! The chair for the dressing table is too low in relation to the height of the table. That's it for this instalment.

OK, will certainly cover our entertainment experience later but for now (absolutely no explora speak at all from me 😀)... Embarkation etc Lovely warm welcomes from all involved in the process. We found the initial stages of the process worked well, until we were placed in the final holding area prior to boarding. Asked to sit but no organisation thereafter. We unilaterally decided to join the line to board when it became shorter (naughty I know !) and were soon on-board. Within seconds we were greeted warmly by a crew member with an amazing smile and abundant drinks tray. Couldn't resist helping ourselves to our first (of many) glasses of Moet. Terrific ! We were offered the facility to leave our carry-ons for delivery to our suite but declined. We were then invited to go to lunch in the buffet and enjoyed a great first meal. More about the food in a later instalment. The muster drill took place in the rather outdated method of all turning up to our muster stations at a specific time and being shown how to put on a lifejacket, etc, etc. Did not take long at all. We loved...the fabulous welcome onboard, the life jackets being held at the muster stations and not the cabins, the well-organised initial check-in protocols. Room for improvement... after formalities board by group numbers, not a disorganised mess. Modernise the safety briefing process, as other lines have done.. Our fellow passengers Our cruise comprised two 7 day cruises, back to back. We were broadly at about 50% capacity or thereabouts. We had some influencers on board, particularly on the first leg and TAs on both, although they included some hosting group sailings. We did not notice any airs of entitlement, special onboard treatment etc. Of the other paying passengers, it seemed there was a higher proportion of non-UK Europeans than we have previously experienced on similar cruises. It was also apparent that there were many Yacht Club devotees who were ''sold'' the cruise thinking the whole ship would be an extension of the YC. I am unsure as to how they found the distinctly different style but I did hear some grumblings. We also noticed a distinctly younger age demographic and vibe, with far fewer mobility aids in use.Or maybe we are just getting older...We also chatted to other people loyal to other luxury lines who were trying this one out as a sampler. Inevitably perhaps, we always heard them making comparisons, which I will studiously seek to avoid. Constant grumbles, particularly from our US friends, included the use of a 24 hour clock for timings, the onboard currency being the euro and temperatures being referenced in celsius, notwithstanding that we also noticed them in fahrenheit as well. Unsurprisingly, no great deal for us. More soon...

I always have great admiration for those who are able to post live blogs and still have a great cruise. I find this too daunting and I fear being thrown overboard by my DW if I spend yet more time on an electronic device😀. So, I have safely returned home, caught up with life's bits and pieces and thus feel ready to pen a few thoughts. Introduction We have been cruising for over 30 years. We started when our kids were very young on UK line P&O, in it's time the first UK really family friendly line. We moved on to Princess, who we used for many years, attaining their highest loyalty status. In recent years, we discovered (Old) Crystal and had a number of fantastic cruises there. We return to (New) Crystal next July. Having fallen in love with the small ship experience, when that line went under, we enjoyed a few cruises on Azamara and may well return in 2025, as they have a particular itinerary not replicated elsewhere. Along the way, we have also sampled Silversea, Celebrity and NCL. These thoughts will be entirely personal and I imagine that others who have experienced Explora may have differing views. However, we are pure unadulterated paying guests, with no axe to grind. I am also definitely not an influencer, which extends to when I am at home !! We do not consider ourselves to be particularly affluent and fell we are truly fortunate to be able to holiday so wonderfully on small ships in the mid-luxury and luxury cruise sectors. Spoiler alert-Conclusion !! Rather than leaving you in suspense for a number of days, I thought I would sum up here. So, if you won't to know at this time, please skip this section now... We had a terrific time on board. Being such a new line and ship, we had realistic expectations and they were most definitely surpassed. Would we return ? Most definitely, if the current promotional pricing levels became available and subject to how the line evolves over time. For now, let's just say that overall we had a great time onboard. What I really dislike about Explora Easy peasy, it's the pretentious, silly and utterly pointless ''Explora speak''. When I came home, if I had responded to friends who asked about my holiday by saying I had been ''on a journey'', they had probably thought I was referring to getting to the airport !! If I had subsequently said that each evening I had an experience in the cabaret lounge, I dread to think what they would have thought !! During our cruise, I did not find anybody who liked this nonsense, other than one particularly fawning TA, who spent her time at a Q and A with the captain as a job interview with Explora's marketing department. At that session, I even raised a smile from everyone else when I said that I thought a ''luminary'' was more like a light fitting, rather than a guest speaker, etc. The explanation offered for this new language was that it differentiated Explora from it's competition. My view is that this is totally unnecessary as the cruiseline speaks for itself, without this piffle. So, let's start a ''we hate Explora speak club''. I am happy to be the founder member. So, for these musings, I will be using traditional cruise speak. For example, crew not hosts, etc etc. Well, that's off my chest now, more to come soon...

Apologies, it IS a chair with a back and pull handle. Agree it's comfortable but too low in relation to table.

Correct, although there is a separate table with a (too low !) stool in space between hanging clothes and bathroom. There is also a table in front of the sofa which I used for my ipad and would also work for a laptop.

For our recent cruise, cabins had to be vacated by 8am. Had to be off by 9.30. Emporium open till 9, not sure about Fil Rouge. Crema also open.

Crystal also use those stands. As to how the staff operate, they simply are trained to describe everything available on their first visit. This makes sense, as some may wish to start with the savouries, others with scones and others still with the cakes etc. We were about half full on our cruise and got to know the system on our first time there. Absolutely no need to attract anyone's attention.The crew are so great that as soon as they see your empty plates they will take them away and ask if you want anything else.When replying in the affirmative, THEY will organise the next visit from the trolley, with new plates of course.. In our view, so much better than the pre-populated cake stand approach, giving you so much that you may not want and the trolley method also resulting in a much wider choice of goodies. Just trying to return some of the great tips you provided before our first AZ cruise !! As for Sakura, great choices. We would also recommend the sensational duck confit starter and also the lobster pad thai, if these work for you. Yummy...

Just back from our cruise. IMHO, wear what YOU want, don't fret about others and enjoy !! FWIW, I always wore a collared half-sleeve shirt with slacks and casual shoes and DW wore a summery dress. My jacket neither packed or needed. A wide variety of clothing choices was observed but no real scruffs. !!

We are just back from our trip and will pen some thoughts soon !! As regards tea, no need to pile everything on the plate together. The policy is for the waitstaff ( sorry, I refuse to use the pretentious Explora lingo...tell Heike or Tanya that this is Colin posting...will raise a wry smile ) to explain everything available when they come round. For us, we just took sarnies and the like first time. They come round, or can be easily summoned for further visit(s) for scones and trimmings, cakes, biscuits, etc. We loved the experience and thought everything was top notch. Also, free flowing champers (white or rose) also available and don't miss the fantastic Nataliia on the piano. Enjoy !!

Great to see the really important issues being debated again🤩. For me, I just want to get back on board...

We have booked independently ( not a walk up) a few days ago using Viator.

Although I have no industry experience whatever and fully understand why 2023 summer sailings may be challenging, I personally think that forward pricing may be relevant to capacities. In the luxury cruise segment, as well as others, older ships seem to be regularly replaced with larger capacity ships, together with fleet expansions. Explora has been referenced and I believe that one factor behind their difficulties may be the whopping fare increases imposed since launch. The market is finite and for sustainable loadings to be achieved, pricing may need to be a tad more competitive. Just a non-professional's thoughts...

Hi Adrian Sorry to hear of the weather conditions in your new home and hope you all dry out soon !! As ever, a great read and totally relatable. I think your thoughts regarding being recognised by a sommelier are spot on, don't forget, I can speak from experience. I wondered how reduced numbers would affect the vibe on board. The increased space ratio, which was excellent before, is perhaps a double-edged sword ? We have just booked the Serenity for an Alaskan cruise next July, as part of a longer holiday Our first experience on that ship, all our other Crystal trips having been on Symphony. As you know, we will be embarking on Explora in a few weeks time and I am heartened by Terry's ( Mr Stickman ) positivity. I believe our trip will be at a greater capacity so it remains to be seen how often we can get to eat in Sakora, which really appeals. Of course, I will post my thoughts on that board upon our return. Love to E and take care Colin

An alternative would be to keep the Burger station element only open throughout the afternoon and enhance the offerings in Crema. This would be similar, say, to Crystal ( their Trident Grill and Bistro ) , who do not suffer these criticisms. Just a thought.

My preference is not to get involved in threads with somewhat contentious debates. However, I will make an exception here as I wonder, having regard to some comments, will I need to pass an exam before boarding to see if I am suitable for the luxury experience offered by Crystal ? You see, I like the informal offerings at Marketplace, Tastes or Trident for breakfast and lunch ....does anyone have any past papers that I can swot up on to see If i can pass ? Frankly, these postings are beyond belief... can't we respect each other, folks...

Hi Adrian Ours in at the beginning of November. Will certainly post our thoughts when we return. Hope this may help when you get on board. Also looking forward to hearing from you as well. Am I right in thinking that you now possess a kilt for use on cruises with formal nights ??!! Isn't it cold up there ? Best to you both Colin

One of the problems on this board ( and those of other lines too ) is the criticism of some to honest and considered opinions posted by a ''genuine'' passenger. What is surely most important is to simply digest what has been said and then reflect on whether it affects one's own views. For me, I welcome all expressed views, whether positive or not and try always to avoid a reactionary defensive posture. I also think that there is not only perhaps a difference in service provided in a US or European style but also perhaps in attitudes towards crew from US and European guests. Frankly, whilst absolutely enjoying meeting again those who have previously given us outstanding service and always trying to engage with those looking after us in a convivial and warm manner, we know nothing about the crew on a personal basis. Of course, no issue with anybody who has a differing approach but just a thought...

We discovered a Jade Martini on Crystal and it remains my go to in the Avenue Saloon ( Piano Bar ). Crystal has an extensive list of no-upcharge martinis but will essentially concoct your own fave, if at all possible. Incidentally, the current entertainer in the Avenue Saloon is Joel Spire, with whom a great singalong is guaranteed😀