Onboard Explora 1 (Sept 25- Oct 13) with Hank

[Hlitner]

Ok folks, since we talked about a "clean slate" we are starting a new blog.  We welcome comments, additions and even flaming

DW and I have an awful lot of cruise experience, so some might find this thread interesting.  We boarded EJ1 today, about 1:30. in NYC, and to be very blunt, after 12 hours on the ship we are challenged as to how to review this vessel.  While the vessel capacity is about 920, there are only 200 (approximate) passengers on this 8 day cruise from NYC to Quebec City and we do not expect a lot more at QC.  So how on earth can one review a ship which has 200 passengers served by a crew of more than 600?  We are in cruise heaven and realize this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, So as you follow along on our thread, always keep in mind we are less than 25% capacity.

 

Embarkation in NYC was fast and easy (with only 200 passengers this is not a surprise). We started the process about 1:20, were aboard by 1:35 and were at the Lido (Emporium Marketplace) by 1:45!  This was necessary since that venue closes at 2pm after which we would have been at the mercy of a snack at the Crema Cafe or room service.  Our initial take on their Lido is that it is an upscale "Lido" with lots of staff.  Although it is a buffet (with many scattered stations), DW could not walk away without a "host" (their term for crew) insisting on taking her plate to our table.  Food was OK (we both had fish/chips) and the hosts were all over us pouring water and wine.  That being said, ask for Pelligrino or Perrier and we quickly heard, "we are out" and can only give you the fresh or sparkling water that is made on board (nothing special).

 

A little after 2pm, we were told we could access our suites.  We a OT3 Suite (which is a regular suite).  It feels somewhat smaller than Seabourn Suites, and about the size of a Yacht Club suite.  Our cabin (marked as "twins" on the deck plan) was made up as a King (the twins pushed together in normal cruise fashion.  The cabin has the usual safe, stocked fridge, etc.  There is a walk-in closet area which also has the make-up area.  This includes a top of the line Dyson hair dryer (these sell for about $500) which made DW smile.   Overall storage is pretty good, but we have seen better on other lines.  Our bathroom has a single sink and a large shower (with waterfall nozzle and another hand held nozzle).  There is no bath tub in our suite!  That is good for us, but others might want to ask for a bath if that is their preference.   Our cabin has a large (at least 48 inch) Samsung TV with the usual news channels (MSN, FOX, Sky, etc.  One previous poster complained about some shelves that had stuff blocking the ability to store items on those shelves.  These are 3 shelves that are intended to house artistic items (in our suite they are neat sculptures) and not storage shelves!  We thought it terrific, that EJ put some art in the suites. 

 

I should mention that there is NOT an electrical outlet (for shavers, etc) in the bathroom!

 

Since the ship is so empty, we decided to go to Sakura for dinner (about 7:15).  Big mistake as they would not take any "walk ins" this evening since they already had plenty of reservations (and we think local guests).  The hostess suggested we try Marble and Co, where we were quickly seated.  Other poster have not been kind to this venue so we had some concerns Our dinners were good and the service, excellent.  We both started with their signature caviar over a potato thing.  The caviar was good, and the bland potatoes a decent accompaniment.  It was topped with eatable gold leaf.  A good start for we caviar lovers.  Next, I  had the lobster bisque which was decent.  DW's main were lamb chops (she said they were perfect) which were two large chops.  Our waiter had suggested she order a double portion, but DW was not that hungry.  I was going to order what they call "Prime Rib" but our waiter suggested one of their filets (mommy told me to listen to waiters) which was perfectly prepared and served with my requested green peppercorn sauce.  We also had a few sides (OK, but nothing to shout about).  For dessert, DW had beignets (with 3 different sauces) and I had the terrific Yuzu Cheesecake.  No complaints, and a darn good meal for a luxury cruise line.  

 

After dinner we went to the Journeys Louge for their 9:30 show.  They had a decent 4 piece band (woodwind, bass guitar, piano, drums) and several singers.  This was decent lounge entertainment with music from Bruno Mars to Rosemay Clooney.  

 

After dinner we went up to deck 11 to check out the Explora Lounge and indoor pool.  The area was empty (except for staff).  The pool area is lovely, the loungers well padded, and the area gorgeous.  It will be fine for 200 passengers, but we wonder how this will all work when the ship is full with 900+.  The Explora Lounge was gorgeous (with a nice view of NYC) but had no customers (embarkation evening).  Hosts (staff) quickly were at our side asking if we wanted anything!

 

A few other thoughts.  Our visit to the restaurant reservations desk was frustrating. We are not allowed to make a reservation for our next cruise (we booked an 18-day cruise which is essentially a 8 and 10 day) until 2 days prior to the end of our segment.  We than went to the tour desk to spend some of our OBC.  We were able to book one tour (during this 8-day segment) but could not book any tours for next week (until the first day of the next cruise).  If you book an excursion pre cruise, your credit card is charged!  They will not later allow you to cancel, get a credit and change that payment to your OBC.  When we pointed out to the excursion person that most cruise lines let you use your OBC for excursions (booked prior the cruise) she told me "we are not other cruise lines,

 

I am trying to be very honest and give the pros/cons.  We can understand some of the negative posts that say that the policies/staff here are unyielding.  They have their policies, do not want to hear if they are bad, and have no interest in making improvements or changes.

 

Ok, so now on to the October 12 (naming ceremony issue).  Our ship docks in NYC on Oct 12 but the cruise does not actually end until the 13th.  EJ decided to have their "Naming Ceremony" on the 12th and, at the last minute, offered passenger a few options.  What has been posted is only partially right.  For those that simply want to stay on the ship until the 13th, they will need to debark on the 12th, be cleared by immigration, and then wait until allowed to reboard (this will likely be no more than 2 hours).  As of today, there is not needed to take off your luggage or pack.  It is just like a typical turn-around day (on back-to-back cruises) where the the ship will be "zeroed out" and then folks can come back aboard.

 

Another option (offered to us) was to disembark a day early, be taken to the Times Square Edition Hotel.  EJ will take care of one night at that decent hotel, provide $150 per person for incidentals, breakfast at the hotel, and transfers.  They would also refund a pro-rated amount for that last cruise day.  Another option is to stay on the ship and be among the invited guests to the "naming ceremony."  Our cruise agent called us today (after we boarded the ship) and had a US representative of EJ on the call (3 party call).  The rep wanted our decision as to the options, and we decided to attend the naming ceremony and stay onboard until Oct 13.  We go to NYC on a regular basis and had no reason to spend a night in a Times Square hotel (not a good neighborhood these day).  We also figured that a Naming Ceremony is a special event not often experienced by cruisers!  So, why not?   My complaint about this issue is that EJ created the problem and did not present the options until the last few days.  Our cruise agency was not notified until Saturday, and it was not until AFTER we were aboard that we could learn all the real options.  There was a third option to take a nice cruise credit, but we had no interest.  

 

I apologize, if this post is not up to standards, but it has been a long day, the booze has been flowing.. etc etc.   In our future posts we will try to go into more detail and answer any questions.

 

Hank

[gymfreak]

Thank you Hank for starting this new thread on your cruise experience.

As you say with only 200 passengers it may not reflect the “normal” cruise experience but your detail and previous cruising knowledge will be very valuable to those of us who follow onboard at a later  date or are thinking of booking.

Vicki

[uktog]

Thank you for your clear and balanced report, look forward to hearing more as you travel 

Edited September 26, 2023 by uktog

[Mr Luxury]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Ok folks, since we talked about a "clean slate" we are starting a new blog.  We welcome comments, additions and even flaming

DW and I have an awful lot of cruise experience, so some might find this thread interesting.  We boarded EJ1 today, about 1:30. in NYC, and to be very blunt, after 12 hours on the ship we are challenged as to how to review this vessel.  While the vessel capacity is about 920, there are only 200 (approximate) passengers on this 8 day cruise from NYC to Quebec City and we do not expect a lot more at QC.  So how on earth can one review a ship which has 200 passengers served by a crew of more than 600?  We are in cruise heaven and realize this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, So as you follow along on our thread, always keep in mind we are less than 25% capacity.

 

Embarkation in NYC was fast and easy (with only 200 passengers this is not a surprise). We started the process about 1:20, were aboard by 1:35 and were at the Lido (Emporium Marketplace) by 1:45!  This was necessary since that venue closes at 2pm after which we would have been at the mercy of a snack at the Crema Cafe or room service.  Our initial take on their Lido is that it is an upscale "Lido" with lots of staff.  Although it is a buffet (with many scattered stations), DW could not walk away without a "host" (their term for crew) insisting on taking her plate to our table.  Food was OK (we both had fish/chips) and the hosts were all over us pouring water and wine.  That being said, ask for Pelligrino or Perrier and we quickly heard, "we are out" and can only give you the fresh or sparkling water that is made on board (nothing special).

 

A little after 2pm, we were told we could access our suites.  We a OT3 Suite (which is a regular suite).  It feels somewhat smaller than Seabourn Suites, and about the size of a Yacht Club suite.  Our cabin (marked as "twins" on the deck plan) was made up as a King (the twins pushed together in normal cruise fashion.  The cabin has the usual safe, stocked fridge, etc.  There is a walk-in closet area which also has the make-up area.  This includes a top of the line Dyson hair dryer (these sell for about $500) which made DW smile.   Overall storage is pretty good, but we have seen better on other lines.  Our bathroom has a single sink and a large shower (with waterfall nozzle and another hand held nozzle).  There is no bath tub in our suite!  That is good for us, but others might want to ask for a bath if that is their preference.   Our cabin has a large (at least 48 inch) Samsung TV with the usual news channels (MSN, FOX, Sky, etc.  One previous poster complained about some shelves that had stuff blocking the ability to store items on those shelves.  These are 3 shelves that are intended to house artistic items (in our suite they are neat sculptures) and not storage shelves!  We thought it terrific, that EJ put some art in the suites. 

 

I should mention that there is NOT an electrical outlet (for shavers, etc) in the bathroom!

 

Since the ship is so empty, we decided to go to Sakura for dinner (about 7:15).  Big mistake as they would not take any "walk ins" this evening since they already had plenty of reservations (and we think local guests).  The hostess suggested we try Marble and Co, where we were quickly seated.  Other poster have not been kind to this venue so we had some concerns Our dinners were good and the service, excellent.  We both started with their signature caviar over a potato thing.  The caviar was good, and the bland potatoes a decent accompaniment.  It was topped with eatable gold leaf.  A good start for we caviar lovers.  Next, I  had the lobster bisque which was decent.  DW's main were lamb chops (she said they were perfect) which were two large chops.  Our waiter had suggested she order a double portion, but DW was not that hungry.  I was going to order what they call "Prime Rib" but our waiter suggested one of their filets (mommy told me to listen to waiters) which was perfectly prepared and served with my requested green peppercorn sauce.  We also had a few sides (OK, but nothing to shout about).  For dessert, DW had beignets (with 3 different sauces) and I had the terrific Yuzu Cheesecake.  No complaints, and a darn good meal for a luxury cruise line.  

 

After dinner we went to the Journeys Louge for their 9:30 show.  They had a decent 4 piece band (woodwind, bass guitar, piano, drums) and several singers.  This was decent lounge entertainment with music from Bruno Mars to Rosemay Clooney.  

 

After dinner we went up to deck 11 to check out the Explora Lounge and indoor pool.  The area was empty (except for staff).  The pool area is lovely, the loungers well padded, and the area gorgeous.  It will be fine for 200 passengers, but we wonder how this will all work when the ship is full with 900+.  The Explora Lounge was gorgeous (with a nice view of NYC) but had no customers (embarkation evening).  Hosts (staff) quickly were at our side asking if we wanted anything!

 

A few other thoughts.  Our visit to the restaurant reservations desk was frustrating. We are not allowed to make a reservation for our next cruise (we booked an 18-day cruise which is essentially a 8 and 10 day) until 2 days prior to the end of our segment.  We than went to the tour desk to spend some of our OBC.  We were able to book one tour (during this 8-day segment) but could not book any tours for next week (until the first day of the next cruise).  If you book an excursion pre cruise, your credit card is charged!  They will not later allow you to cancel, get a credit and change that payment to your OBC.  When we pointed out to the excursion person that most cruise lines let you use your OBC for excursions (booked prior the cruise) she told me "we are not other cruise lines,

 

I am trying to be very honest and give the pros/cons.  We can understand some of the negative posts that say that the policies/staff here are unyielding.  They have their policies, do not want to hear if they are bad, and have no interest in making improvements or changes.

 

Ok, so now on to the October 12 (naming ceremony issue).  Our ship docks in NYC on Oct 12 but the cruise does not actually end until the 13th.  EJ decided to have their "Naming Ceremony" on the 12th and, at the last minute, offered passenger a few options.  What has been posted is only partially right.  For those that simply want to stay on the ship until the 13th, they will need to debark on the 12th, be cleared by immigration, and then wait until allowed to reboard (this will likely be no more than 2 hours).  As of today, there is not needed to take off your luggage or pack.  It is just like a typical turn-around day (on back-to-back cruises) where the the ship will be "zeroed out" and then folks can come back aboard.

 

Another option (offered to us) was to disembark a day early, be taken to the Times Square Edition Hotel.  EJ will take care of one night at that decent hotel, provide $150 per person for incidentals, breakfast at the hotel, and transfers.  They would also refund a pro-rated amount for that last cruise day.  Another option is to stay on the ship and be among the invited guests to the "naming ceremony."  Our cruise agent called us today (after we boarded the ship) and had a US representative of EJ on the call (3 party call).  The rep wanted our decision as to the options, and we decided to attend the naming ceremony and stay onboard until Oct 13.  We go to NYC on a regular basis and had no reason to spend a night in a Times Square hotel (not a good neighborhood these day).  We also figured that a Naming Ceremony is a special event not often experienced by cruisers!  So, why not?   My complaint about this issue is that EJ created the problem and did not present the options until the last few days.  Our cruise agency was not notified until Saturday, and it was not until AFTER we were aboard that we could learn all the real options.  There was a third option to take a nice cruise credit, but we had no interest.  

 

I apologize, if this post is not up to standards, but it has been a long day, the booze has been flowing.. etc etc.   In our future posts we will try to go into more detail and answer any questions.

 

Hank

Any idea why there are only 200 on board?

[saminina]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

I apologize, if this post is not up to standards, but it has been a long day, the booze has been flowing.. etc etc.   In our future posts we will try to go into more detail and answer any questions.

 

Hank

Yes, you should apologize.   What kind of person would post a review after twelve hours on board?

 

Every paragraph written had useful, uncluttered information.   You covered a lot in a very short time.

 

Not surprised with the 200 number and impressed that they are traveling with full compliment of staff if that proves to be true.  Also, we'll learn how many are paying passengers as the week passes.   Regardless, it is special to have the ship to yourselves.  Can't see the passenger load improving until ship heads to Miami with maybe 500 passengers.

 

Looks like the computer might be your best friend on this segment.   Thanks for spending time with it.

 

 

[morpheusofthesea]

6 hours ago, Hlitner said:

ask for Pelligrino or Perrier and we quickly heard, "we are out" and can only give you the

fresh or sparkling water that is made on board (nothing special).

No commercially bottled flat water? "we are out" implies it will be restocked at some point? 

 

It is truly rare and much appreciated for anyone to post in 'real time'. Thank you, Sensei.

[Hlitner]

5 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

Any idea why there are only 200 on board?

We can all speculate, but I think they missed a huge marketing opportunity by not actively promoting EJ in all the Yacht Clubs.

 

So far, all the passengers we have met seem to be normal cruisers and paying passengers.

 

At the moment I am enjoying my cappuccino in Crema and just saw the NYC Sandy Hook Harboe pilot boat come aside and pick up our pilot.  Seas are about 2-3 meters and it is starting to feel like we are on a ship  😋

[happy cruzin]

2 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

We can all speculate, but I think they missed a huge marketing opportunity by not actively promoting EJ in all the Yacht Clubs.

 

So far, all the passengers we have met seem to be normal cruisers and paying passengers.

 

At the moment I am enjoying my cappuccino in Crema and just saw the NYC Sandy Hook Harboe pilot boat come aside and pick up our pilot.  Seas are about 2-3 meters and it is starting to feel like we are on a ship  😋

Yes - I do wonder how much EJ has hurt themselves by pushing the “we are a different cruise line” and not tapping more in to the existing YC market. Even just a match to current MSC status would have give a long way, IMO. 

[vistaman]

54 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

No commercially bottled flat water? "we are out" implies it will be restocked at some point? 

 

It is truly rare and much appreciated for anyone to post in 'real time'. Thank you, Sensei.

same on my cruise : only pellegrino on day 6 and in rotterdam( day 2) and zeebrugge ( day 3)😠 there were a wide choice of shipchandlers 

[vistaman]

well , I did cancel my second booked cruise on EJ ( for Miami Miami )  on day  2 in the early evening ...🙃

[Hlitner]

A few words about Crema.  This is the coffee bar , on deck 5) which has low seating.  To call this lounge drop dead gorgeous would be an understatement.  There are plenty of waiters or you can just order at the large counter.  There is also a small food case (items rotate during the day) where one could get a croissant or a cookie (not much variety here).  Not a place to come for a meal, but perfect for a coffee.  Since they do have booze, it might be a good spot to have an Irish Coffee.

 

Like most of the ship, this area has a very warm contemporary decor and is lined with huge floor to ceiling windows.  Outside the windows there are chairs/tables on a promanade, but I am not sure if this gets service from Crema,  since nobody is outside on this dreary morning.  

[Hlitner]

11 minutes ago, happy cruzin said:

Yes - I do wonder how much EJ has hurt themselves by pushing the “we are a different cruise line” and not tapping more in to the existing YC market. Even just a match to current MSC status would have give a long way, IMO. 

Funny thing is that when we had drinks at the large Lobby Bar, the

cocktail napkins were printed with the MSC logo.

[happy cruzin]

3 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Funny thing is that when we had drinks at the large Lobby Bar, the

cocktail napkins were printed with the MSC logo.

Sheez….they need to make up their mind! 

Edited September 26, 2023 by happy cruzin

[Stickman1990]

Thanks for posting - we were onboard for the last cruise but I never got around to posting as regularly as I usually do as we were flat out relaxing. We’re currently ensconced in a Singapore Airlines A350 for almost 19 hours from NYC to Singapore so I have the chance to reflect and contribute some comments 

 

Your initial feedback very much mirrors our experience and first impressions - elegant and spacious with many public areas. Re the pool capacity - remember there are other pools dotted around the ship although the main one is the largest 

 

Crema is great and very popular - and the Ily coffee is great. Re low chairs - I’m afraid it’s not just Crema - lots of seating is quite low - must have been selected by young designers - but there are usually one or two options for slightly higher seats that you can find in lounges

 

You’re going to love the caviar options - I think available in most of the restaurants - the scallops and caviar in Sakura were amongst our favourites. Sakura was our favourite restaurant for lunch and dinner and the maître d there is super attentive - in face the whole team of servers and bar staff were - but to be fair we found service around the ship to be excellent 

 

If your wife likes lamb chops she’s in for many treats of New Zealand lamb (as opposed to the French ones in Marble) - Sakura does a wonderful smoked chops and the lamb chops in the other restaurants always met with my wife’s approval. It’s hard to believe anyone could eat a double order of those lamb chops in Marble. I agree with you on the sides - the signature Brussel Sprouts were served very crisp - a lost opportunity to showcase a delicious vegetable (that will get the crowd on its feet! 😂😂😂)

 

I'm usually a San Pelligrino snob but I just settled for the standard sparkling water and it was fine - a friend had them provide her with small bottles of San Pelligrino so she was satisfied. I suspect it’s like Cokegate - experiences varied between guests 

We enjoyed the entertainment and the format of sets in the open theatre which is a very relaxed and comfortable setting. Monique and Tanya will look after you on the entertainment and activities 

front - if you like Trivia I hope they manage to fit some sessions in - not sure how many sea days you have 

 

I can’t comment on shore excursions as we did our own thing and used providers like Viator. We did talk to some friends who had misses on the quality with one of their excursions and Explora offered a partial refund in recognition of the miss 

 

Re them not being flexible - I think you’ll find once you start to identify some of the senior staff you will find there is flexibility - the Food & Beverage Manager is always around and available to chat - I believe he wants to get feedback and is open to making improvements. The junior staff won’t make variations as I suspect they are under orders to maintain certain standards - so if you feel something could be improved have a chat to the maître d or other senior staff who are very visible in restaurants and lounges 

 

Enjoy your back to back - I’ll certainly enjoy following along as we get used to feeding ourselves and picking up our own towels

 

Glad the New York christening arrangements are sorted - sadly they seem to be lacking in their shoreside office communications and they have created angst which could have been largely avoided if they outlined the choices more clearly 

[Mr Luxury]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

Funny thing is that when we had drinks at the large Lobby Bar, the

cocktail napkins were printed with the MSC logo.

They need to detach from all of that

[happy cruzin]

2 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

They need to detach from all of that

Detach....or embrace.  But - IMO - they can not have it both ways!

[Mr Luxury]

Just now, happy cruzin said:

Detach....or embrace.  But - IMO - they can not have it both ways!

Branding is so important.

This reminds me of when the Chairman of VW decided that he wanted to build a car that was luxurious and better made than a BMW or a Mercedes.

They over engineered the car and it was a lovely car. The car was called the Phaeton.

It never sold because it had the usual VW badge on it.

Buyers of luxury cars didn't want to drive a VW badged car as it wasn't prestigious enough.

Explora should have its own identity and be apart from MSC as Lexus is apart from Toyota.

[Waltershipman]

3 hours ago, saminina said:

Yes, you should apologize.   What kind of person would post a review after twelve hours on board?

 

Every paragraph written had useful, uncluttered information.   You covered a lot in a very short time.

 

Not surprised with the 200 number and impressed that they are traveling with full compliment of staff if that proves to be true.  Also, we'll learn how many are paying passengers as the week passes.   Regardless, it is special to have the ship to yourselves.  Can't see the passenger load improving until ship heads to Miami with maybe 500 passengers.

 

Looks like the computer might be your best friend on this segment.   Thanks for spending time with it.

 

 

Do you  know the passenger count after picking up Quebec passengers. Thanks

[happy cruzin]

13 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Branding is so important.

This reminds me of when the Chairman of VW decided that he wanted to build a car that was luxurious and better made than a BMW or a Mercedes.

They over engineered the car and it was a lovely car. The car was called the Phaeton.

It never sold because it had the usual VW badge on it.

Buyers of luxury cars didn't want to drive a VW badged car as it wasn't prestigious enough.

Explora should have its own identity and be apart from MSC as Lexus is apart from Toyota.

Agreed!

[Hlitner]

I am going to try and post some things in real time, like now.  It is 9:50 am and DW and I are sitting in very comfy loungers at the Conservatory indoor pool.  We are among a crowd of 2!  There is probably room for about 120 here, but we have it all to ourselves.  At one end of the pool area is a huge video screen displaying the rather tacky “Explora Journeys” along  with the MSC logo.  There is a waterfall in front of the screen which is strange.

 

Speaking of design, the low chairs/tables in Crema have a big problem.  The wooden arms of the chairs scrape against the marble table tops, so the front of the chair arms are already wearing away along with the stain.  These chairs will look ragged, within a few months.

 

Had breakfast in the Emporium.  All is fine, but we think it is a pretty typical high end Lido.  Those who are used to Seabourn (us) would miss the table service that Seabourn has in their Colonnade.  I had and excellent omelet, but waited at the counter like one normally does in any Lido buffet.  The fresh pastries looked good and my croissant was very good, although I prefer more butter within the bread.  My fresh OJ was disappointing, as it lacked the really fresh orange flavor.  I do think the Emporium will do fine on a full ship as there is plenty of seating and the counters are spacious with plenty of staff (oops…. “Hosts”).

[Mr Luxury]

2 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I am going to try and post some things in real time, like now.  It is 9:50 am and DW and I are sitting in very comfy loungers at the Conservatory indoor pool.  We are among a crowd of 2!  There is probably room for about 120 here, but we have it all to ourselves.  At one end of the pool area is a huge video screen displaying the rather tacky “Explora Journeys” along  with the MSC logo.  There is a waterfall in front of the screen which is strange.

 

Speaking of design, the low chairs/tables in Crema have a big problem.  The wooden arms of the chairs scrape against the marble table tops, so the front of the chair arms are already wearing away along with the stain.  These chairs will look ragged, within a few months.

 

Had breakfast in the Emporium.  All is fine, but we think it is a pretty typical high end Lido.  Those who are used to Seabourn (us) would miss the table service that Seabourn has in their Colonnade.  I had and excellent omelet, but waited at the counter like one normally does in any Lido buffet.  The fresh pastries looked good and my croissant was very good, although I prefer more butter within the bread.  My fresh OJ was disappointing, as it lacked the really fresh orange flavor.  I do think the Emporium will do fine on a full ship as there is plenty of seating and the counters are spacious with plenty of staff (oops…. “Hosts”).

Thankfully there's not many of you to fill in the complaints form.

Sorry,Guest satisfaction survey.😀

[vistaman]

12 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Branding is so important.

This reminds me of when the Chairman of VW decided that he wanted to build a car that was luxurious and better made than a BMW or a Mercedes.

They over engineered the car and it was a lovely car. The car was called the Phaeton.

It never sold because it had the usual VW badge on it.

Buyers of luxury cars didn't want to drive a VW badged car as it wasn't prestigious enough.

Explora should have its own identity and be apart from MSC as Lexus is apart from Toyota.

Opel tried it as well with an Opel Diplomat ... years ago 

it seems initially they tried that : and then executives of MSC overruled  the people hired for Explora - I was told - with a lot of decisions 

also as bookings were far from good  : they started to send specials to MSC Diamond members

example : on my cancelled cruise for Caribbean I got a double upgrade as Diamond and 500 $ obc 

 

[Mr Luxury]

1 minute ago, vistaman said:

Opel tried it as well with an Opel Diplomat ... years ago 

it seems initially they tried that : and then executives of MSC overruled  the people hired for Explora - I was told - with a lot of decisions 

also as bookings were far from good  : they started to send specials to MSC Diamond members

example : on my cancelled cruise for Caribbean I got a double upgrade as Diamond and 500 $ obc 

 

It's sad that they had to do that to encourage people to sail. 

Let's see where they are in six months. 

Can you go around the ship and tape up everything that says MSC

[vistaman]

1 minute ago, Mr Luxury said:

It's sad that they had to do that to encourage people to sail. 

Let's see where they are in six months. 

Can you go around the ship and tape up everything that says MSC

there were 2 cruise ships in Zeebrugge :  direction to Explora was by a board MSC not Explora 

on the water bottles in the cabin MSC  in a flower sign above Explora , 

same sign on barlist  and  I can go on - even the representatives were wearing that sign 

i left the ship on 2 nd September  : happy it was over but my wallet was not 

 

[no1talks]

27 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

"Buyers of luxury cars didn't want to drive a VW badged car as it wasn't prestigious enough."

 

I can relate. The same situation occurred in the US with Kia's K900 sedan.