Disappointed with Explorer Cruise 6/4-6/9

[Aquahound]

I must say I have found the photographers to be extremely aggressive lately.

 

This has been a subject on my comment cards lately. "No thanks" should only have to be said once to them.

 

It could be worse though. A co-worker of mine sails Disney a lot. He told me that you can not get away from photographers on those ships.

[unklez]

I agree with you there. We had a hard time getting ANYONE to take a drink order, and the yummy after dinner drink$$ were practically non existant.

 

In previous years, the service was SO good, they called you by NAME!

 

Ya now they just call you names!!!

[critterchick]

Just goes to show that people can have very different opinions about the same or similar experiences

 

I wouldn't be so quick to say that they had the same experience. On Mariner in April, our table had a terrible waitstaff - the assistant waiter was a ghost and the waiter forgot several orders on the second night - several people left before dessert so they could get to the show. The headwaiter didn't even come by until the second night and was shocked when we told him that the service was very slow. In contrast, the table next to us had very quick service and were always finished with dessert when our entrees were being served.

 

dining room bar service has gotten pretty bad. the easy fix is to get your cocktail from one of the other bars and take it into the dining room with you. you'll probably get a better drink that way, too.

 

It's going to be even worse - ship by ship they are abolishing the dining room bar servers, and your assistant waiter will be in charge of that as well. Never mind that they have to do the wine service with no training - now they have to get cocktails and after dinner drinks. In addition to all of their other duties.

 

Of our 15 RCL cruises the one on the Explorer was our least favorite. I can't even say exactly why. The whole atmosphere was just different - we weren't as comfortable as on all the others. Nothing to do with food - just not the experience we were expecting. We did have a great stateroom attendant. If this had been our first RCL cruise I would have really been disappointed.

 

That's how I feel about Mariner. The best I can come up with is that she's a ship without a soul - on a smaller ship (say, MONARCH), the crew are a family - dysfunctional at times, but they all know each other and can work together. On Mariner they just don't exude that sense of cameraderie. I don't know if it's a "big ship" syndrome or just Mariner, but she's not the happiest place on earth. And the DR food isn't very good, either.:p

[stephanie1]

I have to admit that I have not been on the Explorer but I have been on other ships where the serve was so-so. On my last cruise on the Navigator not only did the cabin steward never introduce himself but when I did ask him for something he seemed annoyed and on 2 occasions I had to make 2 requests forthe same thing. He never replaced any

used toiletries. I remember when you got fresh soap daily and they would

replace shampoo bottles and whatever else was used.

 

The dining room service was okay and the steward eager to please. I did encounter attitudes of some bar people but basically I have little to complain about.

 

I would say that if I see a ship going downhill I would not return. As a previous poster said, just because the ship is going into Drydock does

not have anything to do with the quality of service. People still have to

pay for the cruise - no discounts because the ship is going into drydock.

[MrPete]

Second, We've sailed the Ex. a few times and we had seen a huge difference on our April/May 13 night cruise compared to Nov/Dec. and other cruises on the EX. The food was terrible in our opinion ( Portifino was still good) and we ate mostly in ports.

 

The food and service must ebb and flow on this ship.

 

On our second ExOS outing, the food bordered on TERRIBLE, and we actually left it sitting there TWICE on a five day cruise. Our servers NEVER got the orders right at our table of 8 for ANY meal. It became a joke. And they were SO slow. We like getting in early so we are the first served and not waiting for other tables. Well, every one of the other three nights we were the first in and the LAST out. We were envious or the table next to us. Their servers HUSTLED!

 

Now, you would think we would be fools to return, but we did, and found the food and the service BACK to what it was on our first RCCL cruise on our third time out.

 

Crossing my fingers for the next one!

[marci22]

We have been on this ship several times and the service has been great each time, & the food was pretty good.

 

That being said, on any ship we have been on, if you look under things, like the sofa, or under the shelf in the bathroom, you will inevitably find 'missed cleaning'. Just my experience. We have found empty liquor bottles, tshirts, old cups and plates, etc. We were in Disney this past April, and I found someone's old bag of medication under the sink area. I would definitely leave the steward a note about it. I bet a lot of people don't even look.

[Flatiron]

I agree that garbage left in the trash can is not a big deal. However, I was listing it as a whole series of things that were not as good as our previous three cruises. When you add all of this togeather it was not a great cruise. I was venting somewhat and we did have a good cruise for the most part. My point was that I was disappointed with some things on this cruise that seemed to me were not as good as the other four RCI cruises we have been on. It is my opnion. I do not understand why some people get so defensive about this cruise line. Every cruise is not going to be perfect. I thought the name of the site was "Cruise Critic".

We had been very pleased with RCI in the past but I did notice a decline in many areas on this one. The dining room and food was not good. I guess it's the recession. Due to this experience I would like to try a different line for our next cruise and compare it to Royal Caribbean. I'm open to suggestions on what line that goes to the caribbean.

[PLF814]

I was also on this cruise and I too was disappointed. My room was not 100 % clean either. My mirrors in the room looked like someone spit on them (all over them). My shower had mold growing in it. We had 2 adjoining rooms. My girls said to me "Mom we are wearing our swim shoes in the shower because it is dirty". They did not have straws out you had to ask. At dinner they only wanted to give you water to drink. However, they really pushed drinks that you had to pay for. The first night we waited patiently thinking they were going to take a drink order and finally we asked if we could have iced tea. They brought it but we had to aske twice and finally it came with dessert. With that said after they realized that we liked iced tea each night after the first night they just brought us iced tea. All in all we had a great time everything went smooth and Bermuda was a perfect vacation. We were on the Navigator a few years ago and that was such a great experience. Bringing other family that had never been a cruise before they had no idea that things were not up to par. Please keep in mind we are not very picky I just expected what we had on the Navigator.

[Radio]

>snip<

Crossing my fingers for the next one!

 

 

Have a great cruise Peter ! You leave the day before me. . . .

 

Radio

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[MrPete]

Have a great cruise Peter ! You leave the day before me. . . .

 

Radio

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

THANKS! You too! The Pride is one of my favorites!

[Radio]

THANKS! You too! The Pride is one of my favorites!

 

 

No No. . I thought you sailed on Explorer on Aug 1.

 

I leave on Freedom of the Seas Aug 2. . .

 

Radio

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[MrPete]

No No. . I thought you sailed on Explorer on Aug 1.

 

I leave on Freedom of the Seas Aug 2. . .

 

Radio

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

OOP! Gotta get dem glasses on. I scrolled down to your "UPCOMING" and just read the first thing, ignoring the BLARING counter. :o

 

ENJOY!

[camofwilliamsburg]

Lets break this down though. Dirty rooms mean uncleaned rooms. Isn't that what the tip is for...for taking care of the room? I believe the money given is for more than the bed made and unmade! If the trash was not even emptied between cruises I wonder what they do/do not do during the week. I have left things on the floor to check this out and to see if they really vacuum. When I see the same item on the floor the entire week, I know that they have not! They also get less of a tip! My idea of tipping is doing what needs to be done and more. A nice hello, a nice how are you..calling me by my name...that means they are taking the time and thus means above the duties they are being paid to do. If I never see them but get everything done well in the cabin then the tip is just the regular amount. But I do adjust according to what they do above and beyond! This notion that they do not have to do anything and still get a tip is not right. A tip is not an automatic thing, and I do not care if they work for such low wages. That is their choice. I also choose to give my tip to those that deserve it. With that said, we often give more to those that do more. But we also take some off when the job done is below what is expected.

With all the cut backs, a smile is nothing that costs. It costs nothing to make sure you are treated well.

[Gracie115]

dining room bar service has gotten pretty bad. the easy fix is to get your cocktail from one of the other bars and take it into the dining room with you. you'll probably get a better drink that way, too.

 

 

Well we always do that anyway..but usually want a 2nd round in the DR....have never had a problem...certainly hope I won't in the future...would be very unhappy....

 

We usually tip the bar waiter in the dining room the 1st night, a $5 or $10 and have always had great service after...yes, I know it sounds like a bribe and I guess it is ....but if that little bit helps make the cruise better it's well worth it......(no, it shouldn't be necessary..but based on things I'm reading here...might help)

[EV2008]

We just got back yesterday from a 5 day Bermuda cruise on Explorer of the Seas. This was our fifth cruise in RCI and our second on Explorer. The cruise was alright and we had a good time. However, eveything seemed to be down one level compared to the other cruises we have been on.

 

I should have know this would be different as soon as we boarded. My daughter and son-in-law's room had trash, half eaten apple and bottles, in the trash can under the dressing table when we entered. The cabin attendant never introduce herself or said anything to us when we met other than hello. We still don't know her name.

 

I had a real problem with the main dining room. It was obvious that they must have cut down the size of the staff because all the waiters were very hurried and the area we were always seemed very chaotic. I asked twice the first night for a coctail before dinner. The bar server did not come until I was finished with the main course. She never even showed up the next night. The food definitely was not good. I had a prime rib that was all fat, a sea bass that was not edible. Even the lobster was not cooked right and was very small. Anytime we asked for a dish cooked a certain way it came back opposite what you requested. The sirloin stake was terrible.

 

The entertainment was also lacking. The shows in the palace theatre were OK but the same exact shows, like "Fast Forward" , that we saw a year and a half ago. The music in the clubs was not as good, especially Dizzys. The band there did "Quando Quando..............." that reminded of Murph and the Magic Tones in the Blues Brothers. The ice show was good.

 

The rugs and carpets in the halls and our room were very stained and dirty. The furniture in our room was a mess, chipped and stained. I know the ship is going into drydock soon but this cruise was not free.

 

The shops on the promonade deck all seemed very low on stock but highter than last year in price.

 

I has a bad experience wit a photographer in the dinning room. He came to out table just after the main course was served and asked us to stand for a group picture. I told him it was not a good time we just started eating. He froze and stared at me like he wanted to have a fist fight and then turned walked away.

 

Using the other four RCI cruises as a frame of reference this one was not good. I know all this may seem petty but we did pay alot of money for the cruise, at least the food could have been edible. The next RCI cruise and we would have been Platinum members but that won't happen. We like cruising but will try a different line for the next cruise. For now it's goodbye RCI.

 

Flatiron

If you saw the trash in your cabin, you should have called housekeeping manager and let them know. They can not correct problems if they do not know.

It is very hard to cook for so many people, and sometimes someone will get their food not just right, I guess you were it at that cruise. Sorry for your problems. It may be that on the big ships it is harder to maintain all passengers happyness.

We just got back on the Legend and it was fabulous all the way around.

[luvscruising2007]

Well we always do that anyway..but usually want a 2nd round in the DR....have never had a problem...certainly hope I won't in the future...would be very unhappy....

 

We usually tip the bar waiter in the dining room the 1st night, a $5 or $10 and have always had great service after...yes, I know it sounds like a bribe and I guess it is ....but if that little bit helps make the cruise better it's well worth it......(no, it shouldn't be necessary..but based on things I'm reading here...might help)

 

What we have noticed is that if you order the 1st night, the bar server will

return on most subsequent evenings

If the asst waiter is going to be doing bar service, then that will delay him/;her in their other responsibilities. As others have suggested bring

the drink to the dining room from another lounge.

[warrior]

Lets break this down though. Dirty rooms mean uncleaned rooms. Isn't that what the tip is for...for taking care of the room? I believe the money given is for more than the bed made and unmade! If the trash was not even emptied between cruises I wonder what they do/do not do during the week. I have left things on the floor to check this out and to see if they really vacuum. When I see the same item on the floor the entire week, I know that they have not! They also get less of a tip! My idea of tipping is doing what needs to be done and more. A nice hello, a nice how are you..calling me by my name...that means they are taking the time and thus means above the duties they are being paid to do. If I never see them but get everything done well in the cabin then the tip is just the regular amount. But I do adjust according to what they do above and beyond! This notion that they do not have to do anything and still get a tip is not right. A tip is not an automatic thing, and I do not care if they work for such low wages. That is their choice. I also choose to give my tip to those that deserve it. With that said, we often give more to those that do more. But we also take some off when the job done is below what is expected.

With all the cut backs, a smile is nothing that costs. It costs nothing to make sure you are treated well.

 

Well said, camofwilliamsburg. I agree with you 100%.

[Gracie115]

What we have noticed is that if you order the 1st night, the bar server will return on most subsequent evenings.

 

 

Probably true, certainly has been in our case....

[bermuda09]

If you saw the trash in your cabin, you should have called housekeeping manager and let them know. They can not correct problems if they do not know.

It is very hard to cook for so many people, and sometimes someone will get their food not just right, I guess you were it at that cruise. Sorry for your problems. It may be that on the big ships it is harder to maintain all passengers happyness.

We just got back on the Legend and it was fabulous all the way around.

 

Except that flatiron was not the only one complaining of poor dining room service- see my post. And I have sailed on big ships before. They were the Caribbean Princess and Crown Princess and never did we have to deal with the poor quality of dining room service.

 

Regardless of the size of the ship, a fare has been paid and a level of customer service is expected.

[dutchess43]

I do not believe that it has to do with big ships we just sailed on the NOS sister to Explorer TA in April 14 nights. We had one of the best wait staff including the section head waiter that was at our table every night. I would compare NOS wait staff to the wait staff that we had on Celebrity Mercury which is a much smaller ship both were excellent. If you do not have good management in the dining room your wait staff will fall apart. It starts from the top on down to the ass't waiter.

Sorry to hear that all had a terrible time in the MDR yes it does happen from time to time.

[Miss Fig]

As a new cruiser (I just came off the Radiance) I am thrilled to hear that they are doing away with the bar server. It seemed strange that the ass't waiter couldn't bring us cocktails, but had to get another person to do it. There were delays in her reaching us to take the order or deliver the drinks at our table. I like the suggestion to bring the drink into the room with you.

I also laugh when you say, with all their other duties - our ass't waiter took wine orders, served the bread, and delivered the wine & soft drinks. The headwaiter does everything else. 2 waiters for 2 eight-tops - that doesn't sound too taxing. Who knows? We had a fabulous head waiter, so I'm sure he made it look easy. Jiwi!!!

[aggie1]

We were on the Explorer for a 12 day cruise out of Bayonne. The first experience was the embarkation. We booked transfers thru RCCL from hotel to port and port to airport, Bus picked us up at hotel at 10:30 am and finally left at 11:00 am. Got to the terminal about 11:45 and sat in a parking lot for over 2 1/2 hours. They said there was not enough room for all the buses. Then once we got to terminal we were not allowed off the bus until all luggage was off loaded. The shoremen kept coming on the bus requiring tips for taking our luggage off. Finally got off, went thru line, and finally got on the ship about 3:00. Went directly to buffet to get something to eat as we were starving only to be told it was time for muster drill and we had to leave. Finally got to our room at 4:00 just in time to see sail away. Debarkation was awesome. As far as MD the food was not very good. We had gread tablemates, 2 couples from England and 1 couple from NY. We really enjoyed each others company. First night all of us ordered a drink from cocktail hostess. After that night she was always bugging us for drinks constantly. Even to the point the guys finally complained to head waiter to have her please leave us alone. the cruise was wonderful as far as it was spring break in the UK and lots of kids onboard. The UK kids were very well behaved more so than the American kids. Room service was very good, Lido buffet just OK. Our room steward was awesome. We always tip $20 up front and he really took care of us. We really enjoyed the ship but the balcony really needed a coat of varnish. We had two days at sea, then 7 port days and 3 days at sea. Last day at sea was awful. 35 ft. swells and 50 mph winds and rain. Everyone was sick. We really enjoyed our cruise, but explorer needs some refurbishing and better food.