REVIEW Explorer of the seas 11/6-13 PART III

TENDERS: We were in no rush so we ended with “group 4” tender tickets. What a joke. The lines were endless. No one even checked the tickets. Very unorganized in my opinion. If you need to be off the ship early get your butt down there early – ticket or no ticket.

DAY 3 Belize: Had no expectations about this port. Knew if we didn’t cave tube there wasn’t much else to do. Unfortunely we didn’t tube. What we did do is contract one of the local independents and for $25/person got a city tour, jungle walk and Altun Ha (Mayan ruin tour). The price was good. Our guide was good. Since there is no drinking age in Belize we stopped at an Esso station and picked up a bottle of “Belkin” Belizean beer and let the kids try it. Yea, we’re bad parents. What can I say. Could have done without the city tour. Lots of poverty, very dirty and crowded. I was surpised to see so many asian stores. The ruins were cool. Lots of steps!! Great picture opportunities! FYI: Contrary to its surroundings the bathroom was surprisingly well kept and clean. The Jungle walk was MUDDY. I am talking thick, gooey, black as night mud. I was wearing sandals and you guessed it…….mud was squishing between my toes. YUCK! We did see and hear some howler monkeys and also saw a really cool “gold” spider with a “gold” web - were not in jersey anymore Toto. Got back to the dock with plenty of time to spare. Didn’t hang around. Caught the next tender back to the ship. Showered, dinner (ordered an MT and a bottle of wine), show, casino, balcony, bed, coma.

(We may have done Family Feud in Maharaja’s this evening – can’t remember for sure but it was fun - It was me, chuck, Donna Mickey and our friends Jodi and Tom. We called ourselves the “Manson Family”. LOL. We won too. Yeah!

SHOWS Vegas Style, Comedy, Ice: For the record I loved almost all of them but I was disappointed to hear that others in our group had seen them more than once already – and they had sailed on other RCCL ships. How can RCCL expect people to continue cruising their ships if they don’t change the entertainment? Must be boring after a while.

MOTION / ROCKING: I don’t care what anyone says!! You do feel the ship move. I felt a mild vibration in the windjammer and dining room and while laying in bed. But some days/nights I felt actual rocking in the casino and theater. I don’t know if it was the Bonine or not but I was fine. Never even a hint of queasiness and believe me I get seasick cleaning my fish tank!!!! The kids, who stopped taking the bonine never complained of being sick although Jaclyn did have a “tummy and headache” after our day on Belize – maybe it was the tenders? They were rockin and rollin! If you do suffer from motion sickness definitely take something. Don’t wait till you’re already sick it will be too late.

If your still with me keep an eye out for PART IV :D

Ok... great review so far! I'm waiting for part IV!

Thank you for taking the time to write your review, I love long reviews. Enjoying this one and looking forward to the next part.

Tessa:)

MOTION / ROCKING: I don’t care what anyone says!! You do feel the ship move. I felt a mild vibration in the windjammer and dining room and while laying in bed. But some days/nights I felt actual rocking in the casino and theater. I don’t know if it was the Bonine or not but I was fine.

Connie, I agree 100%. I could *definitely* feel the ship moving, and by Monday afternoon I was seasick. Thank goodness for Dramamine. :D It did the trick, I took one every AM, and didn't have any more trouble for the rest of the week.

Someone in our group told me that the captain slowed down during the day, but then sped the ship up to 20 knots or so at night. I definitely felt more movement in the evenings.

best,

Laura

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Someone in our group told me that the captain slowed down during the day, but then sped the ship up to 20 knots or so at night. I definitely felt more movement in the evenings.

 

best,

Laura

Laura speaking of that--

One night I went to pick up my son at AO about 10pm. I had a long red streamer in my bag, saved from a show for my kids. All of a sudden a gust of wind came and sucked the streamer out--it was surreal-- it stretched out about 20 ft long! The couple ahead of me got kind of freaked out til they realized it was just a paper streamer.

Then suddenly, MY GLASSES BLEW OFF OF MY FACE!! and I heard them hit the deck, but couldn't see them. All of a sudden I spotted them. I went to grab them, and another gust of wind COMPLETELY KNOCKED ME OVER! I was on my hands and knees, crawling on EOS! I saw my glasses, perched at the edge of the ship, I knew I had to reach them. I painstakingly crawled to the edge, and grabbed them. They were a $400 prescription so I was very happy.

My advice, be careful on the ship's decks at night and hold onto anything that is not attached to your body.

Linda

Laura speaking of that--

 

One night I went to pick up my son at AO about 10pm. I had a long red streamer in my bag, saved from a show for my kids. All of a sudden a gust of wind came and sucked the streamer out--it was surreal-- it stretched out about 20 ft long! The couple ahead of me got kind of freaked out til they realized it was just a paper streamer.

 

Then suddenly, MY GLASSES BLEW OFF OF MY FACE!! and I heard them hit the deck, but couldn't see them. All of a sudden I spotted them. I went to grab them, and another gust of wind COMPLETELY KNOCKED ME OVER! I was on my hands and knees, crawling on EOS! I saw my glasses, perched at the edge of the ship, I knew I had to reach them. I painstakingly crawled to the edge, and grabbed them. They were a $400 prescription so I was very happy.

 

My advice, be careful on the ship's decks at night and hold onto anything that is not attached to your body.

 

Linda

Linda,

That wind was wicked wasnt it??? We went out to the Helipad on Deck 4 :eek: NEVER AGAIN! I was really frightened!

My advice, be careful on the ship's decks at night and hold onto anything that is not attached to your body.

I'm glad you saved your glasses, Linda! I brought some of those decorative eyeglass chains that drape around your neck just in case something like that happened to me. The last couple of days were particularly windy.

-Laura

Just moving it up so that all the "parts" are together...