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Explorer of the Seas - Just Returned


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My wife and I just returned from a 7 day cruise on the Explorer.  Here are my comments/observations from our cruise. 

Ship was in great condition.  There were new chairs in the WJ and on deck.  Cabins are still pretty much the same as when we previously cruised in 2018.  This was our 15th (for me) and 17th (for my wife) cruise, all on RCL.  Most all have been on the Voyager and Freedom class as these were the largest ships when we started and we like the layout and amenities.  We'll be back on the Explorer in July, wrapping up our 2020 cruises!!

 

This cruise had no days at sea, which I didn't really like.  We had an excursion cancelled at St. Kitts due to lack of participation so we just went out into the port shopping area for a couple hours and then went back on board.  

 

We are Diamond members so we got 4 free drinks and didn't get the drink package.  I really wanted to get it but couldn't justify the price with getting 4 free every day.  I definitely didn't drink as much as I would have with the package but having a port stop every day, we didn't have any drinks until late afternoon when we returned.  My wife did get the Refreshment package and thought it was worth the money.  Bottled water, specialty coffee and fresh OJ.

 

Ship had approximately 1800 guests according to our waiter and room steward.  It was obvious that the ship wasn't at full capacity.  No wait for drinks, food at the WJ or deck chairs.  People seemed a lot less grumpy!!

 

Dress Code - Wasn't being enforced at either the WJ or Main Dining.  During formal nights, there were more than a few men wearing shorts.  

 

Windjammer at breakfast and lunch was much different than previous cruises as you had to be served cafeteria style instead of serving yourself.  This worked fine with the number of guests on board and you never had to wait.  I ordered eggs every morning and was never more than the second person in line to order.  One side of the WJ was closed so I assume they'll open it up as more guests are allowed on board.  There didn't seem like there was as much selection but I never felt like I couldn't find something I wanted to eat.  

 

Main Dining - could have been our waiters or that they had more tables to cover but ours didn't seem as on top of their game.  In past cruises, water glasses were always filled, bread never went empty, coffee was offered with dessert and salt and pepper was always on the table.  Just observations as they did a great job when asked for something but it definitely wasn't as fine tuned as in the past.  Entire order was taken at one time, appetizer, main course and dessert.  Food was very good for the most part.  I'd skip the Fish and Chips next time.  The fish at the WJ was better.  We did MyTime Dining at 8:30.  

 

Specialty Dining - we ate at Chops one night.  Supply chain issues were evident here.  No ribeyes and they were out of the first two bottles of wine we chose.  I don't know what the dress code is in Chops but men were wearing shorts here as well.  

 

Wifi - we had a coupon for a free day of wifi.  I definitely wouldn't pay $25 a day for it.  Very slow to load pages.  Tried to do a speed test but it failed every time.

 

Royal App - this was the first time we used the app on board and I was hesitant at first but it was handy to have everything at your finger tips and not have to carry around the Cruise Compass.  Obviously, you have to carry your phone though.  No paper Cruise Compass any longer.  

 

Menus at the bars were QR codes that you scanned.  I didn't ask if they had paper ones.  

 

Embarkation and Disembarkation was really easy.

 

Ports - There have always been locals trying to sell their stuff but they seemed really aggressive this time and made the days at the beach a little hard to endure.

 

Excursions - we usually do our own thing but due to Covid protocols, we chose to do the ones offered by RCL.  A lot of waiting in lines and enforcing mask wearing while outside waiting to leave.  Most of the transportation required masks but didn't enforce it.  

 

I don't know the reason, but for anybody that's cruised RCL before and enjoyed the Quest, they didn't do it on our cruise.  

 

*****Warning****** Taxi from the airport to Old San Juan was very easy and the price was stated before entering the taxi ($27 and $1/bag) for our party of 4 with 6 bags.  The taxi from the pier to the airport was a different story.  It's mayhem and you can't tell who's a driver, who's loading bags and who to trust.  One guy said $15/person and then another came up and said $21 plus $1/bag so we pulled our bags over to the van.  He loaded all the bags and then wanted a tip.  I thought he was the driver but he was only loading bags.  Then when we got to the airport, the driver wanted $45.  I told her we were quoted a lower rate and she just shook her head and said $45.  We paid and then I went to the taxi stand to see if I could file a complaint but they said taxis at the airport are regulated and those at the pier are not.  Don't use metrotaxipr and make sure you talk to a driver and get a price first.

 

I'd be happy to answer any questions.  

 

Hope everyone has a great cruise, we really enjoyed ours and probably won't have the same low capacity the next time.  Enjoy it while it lasts.

 

 

 

 

PR Taxi1.jpg

Edited by cort43202
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3 hours ago, cort43202 said:

   Ship had approximately 1800 guests 

 

 

Thanks for review, with last release came close to Booking the Ship next yr. Last time I was on Explorer was right after 9/11 and also had less then 2000 passengers, but we had the Crew for a Full Ship(1000+). Made for Crew of 1 for ever 2 passengers. 

Edited by ONECRUISER
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Thanks; I'm sailing in August and appreciate your input.  Regarding the Cruise Compass; I find it difficult to see everything going on with the app so I asked our room steward on our last 2 cruises to supply a copy to the room.  It wasn't an issue at all as it was there every night when we retired for the evening.

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Thanks for the review. I dont suppose there was any mention of the 5 week dry dock she is having next February in something like the Captains questions.

 

We are on her next summer and we were wondering if she was getting a' mini' amplification.

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14 hours ago, cort43202 said:

*****Warning****** Taxi from the airport to Old San Juan was very easy and the price was stated before entering the taxi ($27 and $1/bag) for our party of 4 with 6 bags.  The taxi from the pier to the airport was a different story.  It's mayhem and you can't tell who's a driver, who's loading bags and who to trust.  One guy said $15/person and then another came up and said $21 plus $1/bag so we pulled our bags over to the van.  He loaded all the bags and then wanted a tip.  I thought he was the driver but he was only loading bags.  Then when we got to the airport, the driver wanted $45.  I told her we were quoted a lower rate and she just shook her head and said $45.  We paid and then I went to the taxi stand to see if I could file a complaint but they said taxis at the airport are regulated and those at the pier are not.  Don't use metrotaxipr and make sure you talk to a driver and get a price first.


Same thing happened to us, put a bit of a. bad taste to the end of a wonderful 3 week cruise. We were already at the curb looking to flag a cab,  random guy came tells us $21 plus $1 per bag,  and starts loading bags with the driver.  Then tells us he wants a tip - took us offguard. Arrive at the airport & driver wants $35. We already had the $28 prepared, told him the rate we were told, argued a bit and showed him the cash in hand….he took it but wasn’t very pleasant about it. Never again, next time UBER. My daughters took UBER to the airport 2 weeks before us, cost was $18/19 + tip, so we thought the $21 was reasonable.The taxi drivers are not helping themselves. We spoke to another couple at the airport who encountered the same issue with their taxi driver upon arrival at the airport.

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6 hours ago, Tin can said:

Thanks for the review. I dont suppose there was any mention of the 5 week dry dock she is having next February in something like the Captains questions.

 

We are on her next summer and we were wondering if she was getting a' mini' amplification.

I didn't hear any mention of the 5 week dry dock.  We are back on in July and if I remember, I'll ask.

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5 hours ago, cruisetmc said:

Did the ship have any parades thru the promenade?

They did the disco, YMCA dance up on the bridge above the promenade but they never came down and danced with the guests through the promenade.  They may have had others but that's the only one we saw.

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Is masking totally optional on ship now? Or are there still places it's required?

Are they doing full production shows and guest entertainers?

Any changes to the casual promenade restaurants from pre-Covid?

Trivia still in play with teams? Music trivia?

Was the future cruise consultant offering any good packages?

Did you use the Diamond lounge? We've enjoyed it on other RCL ships, but this is our first cruise on Explorer in 6 wks.

This will be our first post-Covid cruise - can't wait!

Edited by chrismch
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21 hours ago, cort43202 said:

*****Warning****** Taxi from the airport to Old San Juan was very easy and the price was stated before entering the taxi ($27 and $1/bag) for our party of 4 with 6 bags.  The taxi from the pier to the airport was a different story.  It's mayhem and you can't tell who's a driver, who's loading bags and who to trust.  One guy said $15/person and then another came up and said $21 plus $1/bag so we pulled our bags over to the van.  He loaded all the bags and then wanted a tip.  I thought he was the driver but he was only loading bags.  Then when we got to the airport, the driver wanted $45.  I told her we were quoted a lower rate and she just shook her head and said $45.  We paid and then I went to the taxi stand to see if I could file a complaint but they said taxis at the airport are regulated and those at the pier are not.  Don't use metrotaxipr and make sure you talk to a driver and get a price first.

Thanks for the informative review.  We sail the Explorer from Miami for the first time in August.  

 

As for taxis from the pier to the airport - they are a ripoff and pricing tends to fluctuate terribly.  We used Uber to pick us up at the pier and it was so much cheaper, more comfortable, and efficient.

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19 hours ago, chrismch said:

Is masking totally optional on ship now? Or are there still places it's required?

Are they doing full production shows and guest entertainers?

Any changes to the casual promenade restaurants from pre-Covid?

Trivia still in play with teams? Music trivia?

Was the future cruise consultant offering any good packages?

Did you use the Diamond lounge? We've enjoyed it on other RCL ships, but this is our first cruise on Explorer in 6 wks.

This will be our first post-Covid cruise - can't wait!

Masks were totally optional onboard, everywhere.  Staff was still wearing them.  

Full production shows were held and they had a guest comedian and performer.

The only restaurant on the promenade was the cafe and it was the same as on previous trips.

Trivia was still done in the Schooner bar.  Music was at 7:30 each night.  They ran through it pretty fast like they had something better to do.  Each night, it was over in 20 min.  With the ship at half full, the Schooner Bar was not packed for Trivia like it usually is.

Did not talk with the future cruise consultant.

Did not use the Diamond Lounge.  I don't even know where it is, LOL.  With 4 free drink benefit loaded on our card and available at any bar at any time, we didn't have a reason to go in.  I'll have to check it out on our cruise in July, just to see what's there.

Enjoy.

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21 hours ago, cort43202 said:

They did the disco, YMCA dance up on the bridge above the promenade but they never came down and danced with the guests through the promenade. 

Oh no, not YMCA AGAIN. That song and dance routine is getting really old.

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We got on Explorer for a B2B On Sunday March 20th. Sorry but I'm going to completely disagree with the OP. The ship is definitely showing her age (old and tired) and desperately needs her dry dock which is scheduled for 2023.

 

There are 2800 onboard and it feels like 4k. Lot's of large groups of locals...kids and adults loud and rude and have taken over the ship. Very understaffed everywhere. WJ is a mess and dining room service is slow. Food at all venues very poor.

 

We're in an OS and have needed maintenance several times, our cabin literally falling apart.

 

The SL concierge scans your SeaPass card every time you walk in...every drink you order and every time you walk out the door...that policy is new to us. SL is small enclosed area deck #9 but DL is a nice space deck #14 and very empty each night. Apparently these two areas will change next drydock.

 

We're long time loyal RCI cruiser's and very low key and usually ask for nothing. But very disappointed in this cruise and hoping things get better next week but I think that's doubtful.

 

Some other CC members onboard and through their posts are experiencing and seeing the same as we are.

 

We've sailed out of San Juan several times on this B2B itinerary and this may be the last time...so sad !!! 

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33 minutes ago, Ashland said:

We got on Explorer for a B2B On Sunday March 20th. Sorry but I'm going to completely disagree with the OP. The ship is definitely showing her age (old and tired) and desperately needs her dry dock which is scheduled for 2023.

 

There are 2800 onboard and it feels like 4k. Lot's of large groups of locals...kids and adults loud and rude and have taken over the ship. Very understaffed everywhere. WJ is a mess and dining room service is slow. Food at all venues very poor.

 

We're in an OS and have needed maintenance several times, our cabin literally falling apart.

 

The SL concierge scans your SeaPass card every time you walk in...every drink you order and every time you walk out the door...that policy is new to us. SL is small enclosed area deck #9 but DL is a nice space deck #14 and very empty each night. Apparently these two areas will change next drydock.

 

We're long time loyal RCI cruiser's and very low key and usually ask for nothing. But very disappointed in this cruise and hoping things get better next week but I think that's doubtful.

 

Some other CC members onboard and through their posts are experiencing and seeing the same as we are.

 

We've sailed out of San Juan several times on this B2B itinerary and this may be the last time...so sad !!! 

Sounds like we were a week ahead of the rush.  As to the shape of the ship, everyone will have to make their own opinion.  I was impressed that the deck chairs and WJ chairs were new.  Our room was clean and other than that, I'm not too picky.  Sunny weather, drinks and no email!!!

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29 minutes ago, Weluv2cruise2gether said:

Cort43202, when are you sailing in July? We are on her 7/23 and can’t wait!!

July 9th.  Already looking forward to it.  First time cruising in the summer.  We usually go in March and hope the weather follows us back home.  It never does.

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I agree with Ashland...and friends Dave/Kathy are witnessing the same thing.  

 

Huge difference from what Dave/Kathy experienced last week.  A thousand more pax from last week to this, they said made it feel like 10K.   Rude, loud, "me first" type family groups on board.  Running wild down the hallways all night long, and push/shoving their way around.  Don't even think about trying to manage your way around the WJ. 😮  They are even running of of food (fresh food)....crew not in a good mood and very short staffed.  

 

Personally I think RCI nabbed top crew members to staff new comer Odyssey, and now huge Wonder and has left the smaller/older ships to fly in the wind.  

 

We are on next week again...may have to hibernate in the cabin.  😳  No...not really...but am trying to avoid the areas hit hard with the crowds.  

 

We have Voyager booked for B2B2B next January-Feb.   Won't cancel...but I think another problem is we should never have booked this late in the spring.  Won't do it again.  

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I am tired of the 3rd degree we get in the dining room on the nights we eat there...from a certain staff member. It's my vacation and I can eat where I want to each night. This has really rubbed us the wrong way. Service seems to be great to those that eat there every night we've noticed... towards us MEH !!! Very slow !! We'll ask for another table location for next week and see how it goes....but I'm not going to be pressured to eat in the dining room every night !!! 

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19 hours ago, wolfcathorse said:

who was your captain?

Week March 20th: Captain Topy Tomljanovic....not impressed, no personality....unless you only want to hear the weather stats....and that we're heading back to Bonaire due to a medical emergency last night. He says only what he is required to say and quickly turns it over to the international interpreter.

 

So sorry but just off Navigator in January and can't stop comparing everything we've encountered on Explorer 😬

 

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