Sales Volume Very Low?

[JYDCruise]

1 hour ago, saminina said:

It began prior to the cruise.  Asked for bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue and was told it probably could not be supplied.  No surprise, it was not.  He purchased at first port stop.   This is not a complaint, just seemed odd that such a request could not be met. 

It seemed odd that they wouldn't stock a $150+ bottle of liquor specially for him? Was the expectation that this would be included in his fare, or did he want it available for purchase at the ship's bar?

[saminina]

2 hours ago, JYDCruise said:

It seemed odd that they wouldn't stock a $150+ bottle of liquor specially for him? Was the expectation that this would be included in his fare, or did he want it available for purchase at the ship's bar?

There was a time when such a request would have been no big deal to fulfill for a top suite guest paying rack rate.  Or even a regular customer in lower suite.  If it was not in stock, they would purchase in port.  This was common practice on SS and SB, though it's likely to have been on the shelf so no big deal.  Yes, they were expecting it to be a no charge item for one bottle. 

 

And yes, there is an expectation that fellow passengers on a so called luxury ship know how to dress and act to a higher standard than what you might see at the local pro wrestling event.

 

Edit to add....conversation with bar manager on Crystal about whisky and my favorite brand was missing.  Next port, he went ashore and purchased a bottle.  It was just a simple comment.  Not a complaint and told him I was happy enough with what was on the shelf.  A total unexpected surprise that the bottle would appear.  

Edited June 4 by saminina

[HappyInVan]

Do note that the luxury cruise industry is now highly competitive. Not just Regent, Silver Sea and Seabourne. There's Ponant and Explora expanding aggressively. There's the revived Crystal etc. And, MSC itself has the very competitive YC.

 

There's bound to be a shakeout. My bet is that the casualties will be the fledgling brands that have yet to find their winning formula. The existing brands will likely hold on to their existing customers, unless someone comes out with a technological and/or service wonder at a competitive price.

 

The Apontes may have a bottomless pit of money. But, they'll just be flushing money down the toilet if they don't have the winning formula..

 

[saminina]

Occupants of top suites/residences on Explora have reason to be disappointed.  It might be the only line that offers so little in the way of perks.   There could be published benefits and there should be the discreet unpublished benefits not uncommon on other lines.  Stuff that goes unnoticed by majority of guests on all inclusive lines.

[JYDCruise]

25 minutes ago, saminina said:

Edit to add....conversation with bar manager on Crystal about whisky and my favorite brand was missing.  Next port, he went ashore and purchased a bottle.  It was just a simple comment.  Not a complaint and told him I was happy enough with what was on the shelf.  A total unexpected surprise that the bottle would appear.  

That is good service indeed! That's how a service business builds loyalty.

That said, there's going to be a limit, even on the luxury lines (and I would bet that JWB is generally going to be over such a limit). I see that Crystal's included whiskys have JW Black and Red; the Black is ~$25/bottle retail, the Red less. Blue is ~$175, and it'd be interesting to see if Crystal would stock that on request. If so, that's outstanding service!

That said, British Airways First Class (the world's best business class! 😄) serves (served?) JW Blue - and in very generous pours - but the $ consumed/trip is inherently lower on a flight. Hell, even ANA has

[uktog]

7 hours ago, saminina said:

It began prior to the cruise.  Asked for bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue and was told it probably could not be supplied.  No surprise, it was not.  He purchased at first port stop.   This is not a complaint, just seemed odd that such a request could not be met.   Suite decor too brownish for the lady.  Their favorite evening dining venue was Emporium outdoors.  No problem until their butler invited himself to sit at their table.  Also, attempted same on final evening.  By then, they knew how to say NO to him.   While sitting in their suite, butler came in and did not remove tray of dirty dishes.  Also, butler in suite going thru drawers looking for his keys when occupants walked in.  Disappointed in lack of (zero) perks.  The little niceties one sees when residing in top suites on land or at sea.

 

About same age as Whip.....90.

I’m not sure I would see the whisky absence as a big issue but if that had been my butler I would have gone straight to the General Manager as that behaviour is unprofessional and unacceptable. Anyone going through guests drawers without their permission should be asked to leave. Joining you at dinner without your invitation is also an absolute no no 

[HappyInVan]

8 hours ago, uktog said:

Anyone going through guests drawers without their permission should be asked to leave. Joining you at dinner without your invitation is also an absolute no no 

 

Unfortunately, there's quite a bit of unprofessional behavior going on.

[Waltershipman]

2 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

 

Unfortunately, there's quite a bit of unprofessional behavior going on.

This thread sure has become a forum for grievances and criticism 

I miss the expression of grace and gratitude that is surely a part of having the ability to experience 

[uktog]

16 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

 

Unfortunately, there's quite a bit of unprofessional behavior going on.

Care to explain and evidence?

[HappyInVan]

23 minutes ago, uktog said:

Care to explain and evidence?

 

Sure. I moved from my original cabin because of the creaks (post #3)...

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/3008457-yet-another-explora-1-review/#comment-67395928

 

What I didn't mention was the behavior of the staff involved. My first complaint to the front desk was taken by a Princess who condescendingly said (in a whisper) that they could move me to another room. No interest in the guest and the problem. No offer to send someone to check the room.

 

The next complaint to the front desk was to a young man who hustled to get approval from his manager. Helped me move my stuff. But, nada an apology or expression of concern. Both CR people had never been on a ship.

 

Apparently, my relocation caused a stir among the stewards. The steward of my old room tried to pass the job to someone else. Clearly displeased. The steward of my new room told me that he was disembarking tomorrow. Clearly displeased. The next steward angrily told me that he had to clean my room. 

 

No one expressed concern for the guest, and apologized on behalf of the company. Felt as if the guest was the problem and the enemy.

 

I accepted that the staff wasn't ready. That they had not bonded and that there was no esprit de corp. However, the lack of concern for the guest was unfortunate for a luxury brand. They hadn't read the memo yet.

 

Edited June 4 by HappyInVan

[uktog]

Thank you for clarifying - I would agree you suffered from less than perfect service.  Not sure in my language it was unprofessional which I see is inappropriate behaviour/conduct in relation to guest interaction and guest property.  Encroaching personal space, looking in drawers etc is inappropriate and unprofessional, not showing empathy is less than perfect service.

I hope you shared your findings with the appropriate managers

[HappyInVan]

25 minutes ago, uktog said:

Thank you for clarifying - I would agree you suffered from less than perfect service... 

I hope you shared your findings with the appropriate managers

 

Explora Journeys is in the hospitality biz, not transportation like container ships. In small family-owned Europeans inns and hotels, they'll greet you with a smile, “Welkom!!!” They may not be able to improve the heating, if you have a complaint. But, they'll provide you with extra blankets etc.

 

IMHO, Explora 1 is not a threat to the established luxury brands. Hopefully, Explora 2 and 3 might do better.

 

As others have discovered, there's not much point complaining to hotel management. Their reply might be “Work in progress!!!”. Or, “I've spend 15 years in Azamara!!!”

 

[maggie.1008]

Wow, it`s hard for me to believe that I was on the same ship as many of you. My experience was positive and can`t wait to book another EJ cruise. Loved our Premere Penthouse and would book the same cabin again. 

I am not a travel agent or influencer and honestly did not notice any of them on our Hawaii cruise. Maybe I wasn`t looking for them. 

I have been on SS,SB,Regent,Crystal, Azamara,Oceania and Windstar. Were any of those cruises perfect, no. I had wonderful time on all of them and would gladly return. 

All of those lines have been around for much longer than Explora and still have problems. 

 

How lucky we are to live the luxury cruise life! Cheers

[uktog]

Interesting having given feedback to the former manager at Azamara now in a senior leadership role I found someone extremely willing to listen and react. As an example the opening and closing hours of a venue were altered and our room steward was changed 

[HappyInVan]

2 hours ago, uktog said:

Interesting having given feedback to the former manager at Azamara now in a senior leadership role I found someone extremely willing to listen and react. As an example the opening and closing hours of a venue were altered and our room steward was changed 

 

Yes, that is within her power to do.

 

To be fair, here are the virtues of the person you are so enamored of. Conscientious, nice, and the rare ability to listen.

[Dean]

I would appreciate hearing from others before we sign up for the 3/24/25 cruise out of Miami.  It is difficult to separate the pros and cons of any new ship. we are looking for a luxury experience on the Explora 1.  Will we be disappointed? 

 

Dean

[PaulMCO]

11 minutes ago, Dean said:

I would appreciate hearing from others before we sign up for the 3/24/25 cruise out of Miami.  It is difficult to separate the pros and cons of any new ship. we are looking for a luxury experience on the Explora 1.  Will we be disappointed? 

 

Dean

Have you travelled on other Luxury lines before??  If so which ones...

 

A lot of the opinion is from those, including myself, who have been on Regent, Crystal etc...and are comparing our likes and dislikes.

[HappyInVan]

16 minutes ago, Dean said:

I would appreciate hearing from others before we sign up for the 3/24/25 cruise out of Miami.  It is difficult to separate the pros and cons of any new ship. we are looking for a luxury experience on the Explora 1.  Will we be disappointed? 

 

Dean

 

Yes, you may very well enjoy a luxury cruise with EJ. There is the excitement of a newly built ship, and the possible pitfalls of a new organization. My review...

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/3008457-yet-another-explora-1-review

 

Bear in mind that I'm somewhat blase, and at my age I don't gouge myself.

 

The price is right. Of course, you know best what your preferences are. We'll be happy to help if you have specific concerns. Just start a new thread for your queries. 👍

 

 

[BartonX]

Here is Explora's take on their entertainment concept - on purpose different than other cruise lines. Whether this is the right or wrong concet - everybody needs to decide for themselves. For us entertainment (big production shows are even small ones) is really low on the scale of importance. 

 

We are very excited to try this new brand in February 2025 for a 14 day cruise from San Juan, PR. We have been many times to the caribbean but the ship & concept conviced us to give it a try!

 

We are excited that they seem to be a bit different than their competitors. They might be what we are lookign for in a mid size cruise ship! Great ship design & great food (no self serv bufet) - we do not like buffets in general whether land or sea vacation!

 

The only negative I have seen as of now (without ever sailed on them yet) is the limited itinarary in the Caribbean and Med! We booked the 14 day caribbean (we are working in our early-mid 40ies and need long vacations to recharge throughout the year).

 

The main reason (besides ship design & food) why we chose this itinarary, is because it had 4 new stops for us: Trinidad, Tobago, Martinique & Bonaire! 

 

We have tried Celebrity Retreat in the past (always loved it but for their $$$ we can book any other luxury cruise) and are booked on Scenic Eclispe 2 next year as well for a remote warm weather destination in Indonesia to experience something completely different. So, Explora might be just the sweetspot in between these 2 other cruise lines for us.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 5 by BartonX

[Dean]

My thanks for the replies from Paul and "HappyVan".  

My wife and I have been on mostly adventure ones like National Geographic and others that go to the Artic, Antarctica, Galapagos, etc.  We are not cruise veterans with only about 15 or so in the last 60 years of marriage. We felt it was time to relax a bit, go snorkeling and enjoy the ship as well as the destinations.

 

This cruise has "special pricing" until July 31st, so we have to make a decision soon. We have been offered an Ocean Terrace suite for $4,060 each. 

 

We will probably make our decision in the next few weeks.

[CJANDH]

3 hours ago, BartonX said:

The only negative I have seen as of now (without ever sailed on them yet) is the limited itinarary in the Caribbean and Med!

You might find that the never changed menus get a bit boring for a 14 night cruise.

[Waltershipman]

14 minutes ago, CJANDH said:

You might find that the never changed menus get a bit boring for a 14 night cruise.

Or on the other hand you might find yourself eating a variety of choices off the same menu

[BartonX]

1 hour ago, CJANDH said:

You might find that the never changed menus get a bit boring for a 14 night cruise.

Yes, you are correct. I read about it somewhere else that the menus do not change - at least as of right now. It might be a positive if the chefs can practice over and over the same menu items 😄

 

For now, I am not too concerned about it but I will for sure know and report back once we return🙂

 

Edited June 5 by BartonX

[BartonX]

52 minutes ago, Waltershipman said:

Or on the other hand you might find yourself eating a variety of choices off the same menu

 

Thank you. That is what I thought as well! I believe there is enough variety across all restaurants but only time will tell - once we cruise. Food is very subjective. 

[JYDCruise]

59 minutes ago, CJANDH said:

You might find that the never changed menus get a bit boring for a 14 night cruise.

I've seen this thought multiple times, and honestly don't quite understand it. There are 4 restaurants on board, plus Emporium and (if one chooses) Anthology. Realistically, on a 14-day cruise you'll go to each of them only 2-3 times - is it likely that only one dish on the menu is appealing? I'd relish the chance to go back and try something else on the menu, in fact one of my (minor) gripes about a recent trip on Oceania was that I only had one shot at each specialty restaurant. I would have enjoyed going back a second (or third) time to explore the same fixed menu.

I actually have had the opposite problem - with a changing menu, I might miss the one time that a dish is offered. This happened on Azamara, where the MDR's menu changes nightly and we missed Moroccan night as we had reservations at another venue.

 

A fixed menu would be more of an issue on a long cruise, but as I can't imagine ever doing such (I'd be bouncing off the walls before 3 weeks were up, regardless of the itinerary), it isn't a problem to me. Clearly it is to others, though.

 

(Side anecdote in favor of a fixed menu - my son and I were in the NCL Haven a couple of years ago. He tried the Eggs Meurette for breakfast the first day, and then had them again for breakfast. . . every . . . single . . . day).😄