Explorer of the Seas - New England and Canada Review (August 28, 2014)

Hello! We just returned from the Explorer - New England and Canada itinerary and loved it.

The background

I cruise with my parents. They are senior folks, still active in daily life but prefer a more leisurely pace when traveling. This review will point out specific items about the cruise and ports that might be of interest to those who are of similar mind. While we may not have been the first off the ship and last onboard, we still found something to do in every port that was interesting, not too physically intensive, and gave ample time for rest. We'd also been to nearly every port on the itinerary, so it was nice to not feel rushed to see all the highlights.

My reviews tend to be detail-oriented with occasional dips into absurdity. So, if you're game for the ramblings of a Jersey girl, hop aboard!

How we chose this itinerary, or, "Who says you can't sail from your home port?"**

While we sail once or twice a year, we tend to fly from NJ to our cruises for variety on itinerary. This past March, though, we tried the Norwegian Breakaway out of NYC and absolutely loved the convenience of driving to and from port. When we got home, we started looking at our summer vacation plans. It had been a while since we'd sailed the Explorer (5 years), a long while since we'd done New England and Canada (5-10 years), and a shorter yet still significant while since we'd been on a Voyager class ship (3 years). (Although we really enjoy all the glass and beauty of the Radiance class, we missed having the Promenade.) It was a no-brainer. We booked. Our itinerary would include Portland ME, Bar Harbor ME, Saint John NB, Halifax NS, and Boston MA.

** with respect to the great New Jersey philosopher John Francis Bongiovi, Jr.

Because we tend to have a good amount of downtime during the cruise, rather than posting a day by day recap, I'll be reviewing the ports and then the ship's dining, activities, and services. (Napping, reading, and relaxing on the balcony, while great activities for a day, don't make for an exciting recap of a day.)

PORTS

I did very little preparation for this cruise. Partially because the summer was insanely busy (why does the summer always go by so quickly, and February feels like it lasts 56 days?), and also because each of the ports had enough activities near the pier that I knew we could just wander. Plus, the weather could be iffy this time of the year, so I figured, best to play by ear.

The only port we purchased a ship's excursion was in Boston, to go to the JFK Library and Adams house, which were both definitely worth it. All of the other ports, I just looked on TripAdvisor for some picks and left the day fairly unstructured. This was really one of the best things (you'll hear me say that a lot) about this itinerary - very laid back and easy.

Cape Liberty

It's true. Cape Liberty is not the easiest of ports to navigate. The trick is just to know in advance where you should be going. (I know, I'm full of great advice. Don't run with scissors. You're welcome.) I had read on CC (thank you!) not to use a GPS, so we used a combination of Google maps and directions from CC poster 138east, which were spot on. 138east, if you're out there, thank you! And to anyone going to the Cape Liberty, I would recommend googling 138east for her directions. They're a huge help.

The only mistake we made was accidentally getting in the drop off line instead of turning left (at the warehouse) to get to the parking lot. No worries, we corrected quickly, went through the parking toll gate ($19/d), and were directed to a parking spot by a friendly attendant. Because we had a good amount of luggage, we opted to take the complimentary shuttle, driven by a very nice lady, who told us how to pick up the shuttle coming back. We dropped off our luggage (tipping the porters of course), and were on our way to check in.

Note: there are bathrooms here. I didn't use them, but I did see plenty of people going in.

The check in process could have benefitted from better signage but still moved rather smoothly, probably because of the number of repeat cruisers! (I had heard Explorer was the ship with the highest percentage of repeat passengers). We first went through security, and after that, it seemed there was a priority line for Diamond, Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle (there may have been others). I say "seemed", because the sign was camouflaged by some shrubbery. Since others were getting in the (potential) line, we did too. It was either the right place for us or else they just didn't care, because within 10 minutes, we had our SeaPass cards in hand.

At this point, it was around 12:30, and there were still lots of people sitting and waiting to get onboard. They were calling all boarding numbers up to 25 (I think). We hadn't received a number, so we just got on line to get onboard. They let us through, and we went out the door and boarded the bus.

[Aside: to those who have never sailed from Cape Liberty, you must think this is an insane boarding process, and you wouldn't be wrong. You did read right. We check in and then get on a bus. It's a Rutgers bus for that real Jersey experience.]

[Aside #2: for a hilarious account of the Cape Liberty check-in experience, read F27TW's review. It's also a terrific review of the Bermuda itinerary.]

2 minutes later, we all got off the bus and found ourselves on the gangway. On the Explorer, boarding is on Deck 1. Why is that significant? You know how at other ports, you walk onboard, and the first thing you see is the Promenade or the Centrum, and you're all excited, because the inside of the ship doesn't look like it's a ship? Well, when you get on the ship on Deck 1, you know you're on a ship. It's kind of funny.

We hit the Windjammer right away, and it was a ZOO. I haven't seen a feeding frenzy this crazy since maybe the time our junior high went to the local Old Country Buffet. It was 1pm by then, and because staterooms weren't open until 1:30, people were kind of just hanging out, while more people kept coming in. It was really only one of the few not-entirely-cool parts of the cruise. I get that some folks were a bit mobility challenged, so they wanted to stay put, but not everyone!

[Aside #3: this is a senior cruise, and as I understand, these itineraries, this time of year, tend to have lots of older folks. Very few kids. Major differences? Dinner at 5:30 and 8. People also tend to arrive at shows early.]

Finally, we found a 2-top and grabbed an extra chair. No honey stung chicken, but chicken tenders. It was so crowded that I just had 2 chicken tenders and some ranch dressing. [Props to RCI for replacing those huge vats of dressing terror and replacing them with easy to use squeeze bottles.]

Lunch done, it was past 1:30, so we went down to our room, and had this view from our balcony! Can you spot the skyscrapers in the NYC skyline?

Next, our first port - the aptly named, Portland!

Subscribed! Yay, I am so looking forward to this!

Loving your review! Keep it coming!

I vacation with my retired parents, too. We're doing NE/Canada out of Boston next September, so I am going to enjoy your review. Have a great trip!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Subscribed! Yay, I am so looking forward to this!

Ayasha!! Welcome!! I'm still digesting that glorious feast for the eyes your review is!! It takes me so long to read because I just stare at the pictures. I'm just onto your Paris portion and so looking forward to the rest. You're an awesome mom!!

Loving your review! Keep it coming!

Thanks DonnaK! I was afraid it would be too slow paced, so I appreciate the positive feedback!!

I vacation with my retired parents, too. We're doing NE/Canada out of Boston next September, so I am going to enjoy your review. Have a great trip!

Thanks JoyMouse! I don't know how active your parents are, but I'll try to make mention of areas that might be easier (or harder) for senior folks to maneuver. You'll love this itinerary.

Before moving onto Portland, some pics leaving New York harbor. Our departure was originally scheduled for 4pm but was pushed back to 8pm due to inspectors onboard for what I later learned was a faulty propeller. Whatever was being inspected seemed to have passed, because we left at 8 and were treated to the most amazing evening views during sail away.

I never stop being awed by the New York City skyline, and at twilight, the view is almost magical.

Sunset over Bayonne

Under the Verrazano bridge with just 12 feet to spare! I love the lights. Oddly, from far away, they look blue, but up close, they are white lights.

Enjoying your review and photo's, looking forward to the rest.

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. What a fabulous start. I loved your Med review it was one of those which I continuously referred back to when we were planning our 12 nighter. I just know that this is going to be a fantastic read as well. To be honest, i'm finding it difficult to stay off CC at the moment there's just so much ridiculously riveting reading :D

Anyway, funny little coincidence to bore you with. Just yesterday evening the lovely husband took me out for dinner. Of course the conversation turned to vacation and more importantly next Summers cruise. Well I really want to visit the US. Ger is not as excited by the idea having been there when he was a student and not having had the best experience, he also wants to spend every future holiday in Italy! But last night he agreed as he knows its my dream to start looking at cruises from Cape Liberty for 2015 or 2016, that way i'd get to see NYC and have a fantastic cruise also. That for me sounds almost too good to be true! Anyway, sorry for hijacking i seem to be rambling its just the beautiful photo below has sent me into a frenzy!!

Windjamming ( if that's your real name :D) I may be contacting you in the future with lots of questions about NYC and Cape Liberty.

 

I never stop being awed by the New York City skyline, and at twilight, the view is almost magical.

 

 

Anyway, funny little coincidence to bore you with. Just yesterday evening the lovely husband took me out for dinner. Of course the conversation turned to vacation and more importantly next Summers cruise. Well I really want to visit the US. Ger is not as excited by the idea having been there when he was a student and not having had the best experience, he also wants to spend every future holiday in Italy! But last night he agreed as he knows its my dream to start looking at cruises from Cape Liberty for 2015 or 2016, that way i'd get to see NYC and have a fantastic cruise also. That for me sounds almost too good to be true! Anyway, sorry for hijacking i seem to be rambling its just the beautiful photo below has sent me into a frenzy!!

That's great, Irish Cath!! The new port in Cape Liberty is supposed to be ready in time for the Quantum in just a few months, so (I hope) the boarding experience will be quite different! We spoke to a few folks who either did 3-4 days in the city pre-boarding or were doing it afterwards. It really is convenient!

Your may also want to consider one of the cruiselines that sail from NYC directly. I realize it's bordering blasphemy to mention this on the RCI board, but it is definitely a valid option if the city is in your itinerary. The Manhattan cruise port is right in midtown, just blocks from Times Square and loads of taxis and public transportation available.

Anyway, happy to help with any questions! I think Ayasha also has NYC roots, and for a comprehensive "tourist's" view, Sherri (Middle Aged Drama Queen) wrote up an extensive review of her trip to NYC on her personal blog last summer (link is in her signature). As you'd expect, her trip and writeup were hilarious and informative. She went to places and saw things I never even knew existed!

Karen

Living the review

Keep it coming :)

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Great review. I was also on this cruise. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it.

Keep up the good work. Great pics too.

Gwen :)

Hi windjamming,

checking in!

:DYay -- keep it coming:D!

Great start!

Stef

Ayasha!! Welcome!! I'm still digesting that glorious feast for the eyes your review is!! It takes me so long to read because I just stare at the pictures. I'm just onto your Paris portion and so looking forward to the rest. You're an awesome mom!!

Well thank you! The sail away photos you posted are amazing. I love my NYC! This is an itinerary I would like to do someday. Can't wait for more.[emoji14]

That's great, Irish Cath!! The new port in Cape Liberty is supposed to be ready in time for the Quantum in just a few months, so (I hope) the boarding experience will be quite different! We spoke to a few folks who either did 3-4 days in the city pre-boarding or were doing it afterwards. It really is convenient!

 

Your may also want to consider one of the cruiselines that sail from NYC directly. I realize it's bordering blasphemy to mention this on the RCI board, but it is definitely a valid option if the city is in your itinerary. The Manhattan cruise port is right in midtown, just blocks from Times Square and loads of taxis and public transportation available.

 

Anyway, happy to help with any questions! I think Ayasha also has NYC roots, and for a comprehensive "tourist's" view, Sherri (Middle Aged Drama Queen) wrote up an extensive review of her trip to NYC on her personal blog last summer (link is in her signature). As you'd expect, her trip and writeup were hilarious and informative. She went to places and saw things I never even knew existed!

 

Karen

Yep! I'm a New Yorker (18 years), don't hold it against me.[emoji6] I lived in every borough except Staten Island. I usually make it up there once a year.

That's great, Irish Cath!! The new port in Cape Liberty is supposed to be ready in time for the Quantum in just a few months, so (I hope) the boarding experience will be quite different! We spoke to a few folks who either did 3-4 days in the city pre-boarding or were doing it afterwards. It really is convenient!

 

Your may also want to consider one of the cruiselines that sail from NYC directly. I realize it's bordering blasphemy to mention this on the RCI board, but it is definitely a valid option if the city is in your itinerary. The Manhattan cruise port is right in midtown, just blocks from Times Square and loads of taxis and public transportation available.

 

Anyway, happy to help with any questions! I think Ayasha also has NYC roots, and for a comprehensive "tourist's" view, Sherri (Middle Aged Drama Queen) wrote up an extensive review of her trip to NYC on her personal blog last summer (link is in her signature). As you'd expect, her trip and writeup were hilarious and informative. She went to places and saw things I never even knew existed!

 

Karen

Yep! I'm a New Yorker (18 years), don't hold it against me.[emoji6] I lived in every borough except Staten Island. I usually make it up there once a year.

Thanks for that Karen. You two ladies better watch out I may be plaguing you both with questions with my plans work out. I am already roping in the lovely Shelley who we met last year on the Navigator.

Anyway, again sorry for hijacking. Looking forward to more :)

DAY 3 - PORTLAND, MAINE

Portland was the one stop on our itinerary we'd never visited. We decided to stay in town and walk around the Old Port area, where we would be docked. Originally, we had considered going to Kennebunkport, a charming town just outside of Portland, but since it was our first time in Portland, it seemed a shame to not see it.

Before that, though, was the sail in. The famed Portland Head Light welcomed us into Portland Harbor. It is the oldest lighthouse in Maine. This, to me, just screams Maine. I love it.

The ship docked by 8, and since we didn't have an excursion, we took our time and waited for the crowds to thin out first.

According to TripAdvisor:

"The heart of Portland, Maine's Old Port is the intersection of Exchange and Fore streets. The Old Port itself, for the purposes of strolling travelers, diners, shoppers or pub goers, is only three by five blocks in size. It is bordered by Commercial, Middle, Union, and Franklin streets. The exception is Exchange St., which is worth a walk from Federal St. to Fore St. where it ends."

Our plan for the day was to walk around Old Port and, in particular, visit Holy Donut, a local institution (thanks TripAdvisor) known for their donuts made with mashed potatoes (really!) When we disembarked at 9:30, we went straight to the visitors kiosk to get a good map. (The map provided by the ship was printed 2 pages to a side, which made it hard to read. Aside: Not sure that was the right place to pinch pennies.) I asked for directions to Holy Donut, and the nice lady behind the desk was thrilled I knew about it!

It was a Saturday, but the streets were fairly empty. We walked down Commercial Street, which is along the waterfront, and headed up to Exchange Street, where Holy Donuts was. About a 15 minute walk.

All I can say is, the donuts were phenomenal. We tried the dark chocolate sea salt, sweet potato ginger sugared, and toasted coconut, with Maine blueberry coffee. I didn't even get a picture, because we devoured them so quickly! Moist, so soft, and not too sweet. Perfection in a donut. I'm not exaggerating when I say these were the best donuts I've ever had! If you go to Portland and you like donuts, this is a must-do!

After our sweet snack, we walked around some more (to burn off those calories) and visited some fun shops, including one that specialized in Himalayan salt. After about 2 hours, my Dad was ready to head back to the ship for lunch. So back we went and rested for a bit.

Afterwards, Mom and I were originally planning to walk up the Eastern Promenade Trail, which follows the shoreline north for about 2 miles. This picture shows what it looks like north of the ship.

Alas, the charm of Old Port was too alluring, so we decided to head back to some of the shops we had browsed in that morning. My mom bought a mirror wall hanging. (Yet another reason why sailing from your home port is awesome - you can pretty much buy anything you want and not worry about having to lug it on a flight home!) We also checked out some shops with beautiful locally made pottery.

Since it was still early (all aboard wasn't until 5:30), we decided to wander a bit north of town, where we found yet another amazing bakery shop: Two Fat Cats. We tried their whoopee pies and peanut butter cookies. Also phenomenal. I loved the very light cream filling in the whoopee pie, and those cookies were literally peanut butter and Crisco. SO good. Portland will be known to me for their baked goods. Maybe Mom and I should have gone on that trail instead! Haha.

Finished with our shopping and snacking, we went back to the ship, very happy with our day in Portland.

Thank you, Portland!

Summary

Port: Portland, Maine

Activity: Walking around Old Port

- The ship is docked in Old Port. Extremely easy to get around. The area is bordered by Commercial, Middle, Union, and Franklin Streets and is roughly 3 by 5 blocks in size. There is some steepness on the streets, so if that's bothersome, you can stay on Commercial Street, which parallels the waterfront. There are craft vendors and many restaurants on Commercial Street, so you can certainly spend a day just staying there.

- There is a little visitors kiosk right at the port entrance. Very helpful, and they have great maps.

- Holy Donuts (7 Exchange Street) and Two Fat Cats (47 India St) - awesome baked goods. Worth a stop. In additional to the donuts, we were very impressed with the (Fair Trade) blueberry coffee at Holy Donuts. It may have been our coffee taste buds had been dulled on the ship, but we found it to be a nice, light roast.

- Also in town: the Eastern Promenade Trail follows the shoreline north for about 2 miles. We didn't try it, but it seemed like a nice walk. Shipyard Brewery (obviously) was within view of where we were docked. Portland (and Maine) has a large number of microbreweries, and Shipyard is one of the better known ones.

- Beautiful pottery and crafts appear to be the big shopping items in this port. Well, besides donuts. :)

Next, Bar Harbor!

Living the review

Keep it coming :)

Thanks dancinman66! Enjoy!

Great review. I was also on this cruise. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it.

 

Keep up the good work. Great pics too.

 

Gwen :)

Thanks Gwen! Wasn't it an amazing 9 days?! I loved the cruise AND the ship! :)

Hi windjamming,

 

checking in!

 

:DYay -- keep it coming:D!

 

Great start!

 

Stef

Welcome Stef!! Thanks for checking in!

Enjoying your review and photo's, looking forward to the rest.

Thanks PathfinderEss for your nice feedback!

We were on this cruise too. Enjoying your review and the beautiful pics. We've been to these ports before, but I never tire of this itinerary. Thanks for sharing and keep it coming.

Theresa

 

 

Cape Liberty

 

It's true. Cape Liberty is not the easiest of ports to navigate. The trick is just to know in advance where you should be going. (I know, I'm full of great advice. Don't run with scissors. You're welcome.) I had read on CC (thank you!) not to use a GPS, so we used a combination of Google maps and directions from CC poster 138east, which were spot on. 138east, if you're out there, thank you! And to anyone going to the Cape Liberty, I would recommend googling 138east for her directions. They're a huge help.

 

The only mistake we made was accidentally getting in the drop off line instead of turning left (at the warehouse) to get to the parking lot. No worries, we corrected quickly, went through the parking toll gate ($19/d), and were directed to a parking spot by a friendly attendant. Because we had a good amount of luggage, we opted to take the complimentary shuttle, driven by a very nice lady, who told us how to pick up the shuttle coming back. We dropped off our luggage (tipping the porters of course), and were on our way to check in.

Thanks for posting this. We usually take a van service, but in October we are driving with our friends. I thought you had to drop the luggage off first and then park. This is good to know. Is there a sign where you turn at the warehouse to park.

Theresa

DAY 4 - BAR HARBOR, MAINE [LOBSTER!!]

Bar Harbor is home to Acadia National Park, one of the smallest National Parks in the US yet one of the most popular. We had spent a week at Acadia years ago, so we decided to forego Acadia and spend the day in town.

This was the only tender port on our itinerary. As in Portland, we waited for (what we thought would be) the crowds to thin out before starting our day in port. At 10am, we headed down to Deck 2, and saw lines and lines and lines extending well into the stateroom hallways! Yipes! I guess everyone thought the same thing. Fortunately, the tenders were rather large (think whale watching boats, rather than lifeboats), so the line moved fast, and we were on our way quickly for the 10 minute ride into Bar Harbor.

Once ashore, we walked around town a bit near the Village Green (I had downloaded a walking tour map from the Internet ahead of the cruise). If you're into any kind of lobster, lighthouse, or, in general, anything nautical, this is your place to shop. Concerned about the weather (although it was in the 70s and overcast that day, the forecast had called for rain and cooler days later in the cruise), I bought a lightweight infinity scarf.

Finally, at about 11:30, we headed to the West Street Cafe, which had been recommended by posters on CC as well as TripAdvisor. There was a bit of a wait because of the rather large number of tourists in town (a ship and at least one bus tour, in addition to other day visitors), but it went by rather quickly. (Note that this is one of the ship recommended restaurants as well, so it was definitely busy! On one hand, I guess it's good that what I thought was my secret find was validated, but, bummer!)

All 3 of us had the Downeast Special, which, at $23.95, included a cup of the most creamy, rich, generous clam chowder, a whole lobster, crunchy, fresh coleslaw, crispy fries with the skin, and sweet, uniquely Maine blueberry pie. Dad and I paired it with local Bar Harbor blueberry ale, a nice, light compliment to the meal. I'll leave you to guess whether we liked it!

Despite the crowds, we really enjoyed our meal at the West Street Cafe, and the service was impeccable. From the hostesses to the waitress to the bartender, everyone was SO nice. I don't know if they see crowds like this every day or if they just have unlimited patience, but I have rarely seen such a well mannered restaurant staff. Kudos to West Street Cafe for just an awesome all-around experience.

After lunch, although we had planned to spend the afternoon in town, we all had food coma and made the unanimous decision to head back to the ship. Again, a long line that moved quickly, and we enjoyed the quick ride back to the ship.

Before we leave Bar Harbor, though, I want to show 2 pictures of the distance between Bar Harbor (left side of both pictures) and Bar Island (right side), taken at low tide in the morning and then later at high tide in the afternoon. Notice how the island is accessible by foot in low tide only! We went there during our week-long trip years ago and remember a lot of folks digging for clams!

Summary

Port: Bar Harbor, Maine

Activity: Bar Harbor and Lobster Lunch

- The tender is a whale watching boat, with multiple levels. It can be a bit rocky during the 10 minute ride. If you are prone to seasickness you may want to take precautions.

- The tender dock is right in the middle of town. Plenty of restaurants and shops within a short distance, all at level ground.

- West Street Cafe is fabulous. Get off the tender dock, turn right, walk a couple of blocks, and there you are. They open at 11am, but if there are many visitors in town (they advertise heavily), there may be a wait. The $23.95 Downeast special is a great deal, very filling, and I really enjoyed the local Bar Harbor blueberry ale.

- Also in town: we had originally planned to hit Mount Desert Island ice cream in the afternoon. It's an artisanal ice cream parlor and comes highly recommended for its original, creative flavors. There is also a nice shore walk of about .75 to 1 mile. We had heard good things about Oli's Trolley, but figured we'd wing it this time.

- Lots of Acadia souvenirs and nautical themed shops. Of the 5 stops in our itinerary, Bar Harbor was the most touristy (because it's really a resort town) and had the most variety of touristy tchotchkes (yes, I had to look up the spelling). I did not notice much of a difference in pricing between Bar Harbor and Portland.

Thanks for posting this. We usually take a van service, but in October we are driving with our friends. I thought you had to drop the luggage off first and then park. This is good to know. Is there a sign where you turn at the warehouse to park.

Hi Theresa, now that I think about it, you probably can drop off the luggage first and then go back to park. We just decided to park first after finding ourselves behind a number of buses and taxis which were decidedly not going to park. I don't remember a sign at the warehouse, to be honest, but at least one car in front of us turned left, which should have clued us in!

Great review.....can't wait for the rest. I've been on this itinerary almost every year for quite some time. I never knew about that donut shop. Wish I had, but will surely get there next year. They sound delicious. Almost like the Pennsylvania Dutch "fasnachts" , made every year on Fat Tuesday before Lent. The "real" fasnachts are made with mashed potatoes. And oh so yummy.

We really did have a great cruise. It was our granddaughter's graduation gift and she had a great time. She, too, would have loved that donut shop, especially since they don't have them on the ship any more. :(

Again, your review is very informative and the pictures are great.Thanks.

Gwen :)

Am enjoying reminiscing with you. Our NE cruise experience was also remarkable. Was cruising with my sister and recovering from a broken foot and everyone we met was so helpful. Very fond memories!

Deb