Ourusualbeach

TA's use a separate booking engine and can see exactly what they are booking. You are using Royals website that leaves much to be desired so you really wont get much help as Royal never does tell you the exact category you are booking for guaranteeson their consumer site.

Lunch today was at Sakura. No reservations needed for lunch. One thing I have noticed is that there is a lot of teamwork. If any waiter is walking buy and sees an empty plate they will remove it or if your drink is empty they will offer you another one. I feel like I am saying "Joe" is getting it a fair bit. Teriyaki strip loin for lunch with some sushi rolls to start.2 bites gone before I took the photo.

Tasted as good as they looked as well.

It's already dead. Not on Icon or Utopia.

A small amount of retail on board including some very high end watch shops which include the only Rolex store at sea. The Rolex store is limited to two sales per day and one watch per suite. Because they have secured inventory guests can bypass the traditional wait times of up to a year that are encountered st land based stores. They have had guests book a cruise just to purchase a watch. The other retail is all composed eco friendly and sustainable products, think clothing made from fishing nets and recycled water bottles.

There is a small casino on board. 3 table games, roulette, baccarat and blackjack and 18 slot machines.

Some pictures of the elevators, stairwells and hallways. Speaking of elevators, in the first 2 and a bit days we have only shared an elevator 3 times. Your current floor in the lobby is lit. Artwork in the hallways. Also, a lot more carpeted areas vs tiled...softer of the feet. There are mirrors everywhere and they are immaculately clean, so much so I keep thinking someone is beside me when its actually me. The ship model

Still very comparable when you start adding in all the extras that you need to pay for on Royal.

The first of our 2 port stops was Astoria. Nothing really planner other than to head to town and go to Bowpicker fish and chips. Very limited menu. Tuna as opposed to the traditional cod or halibut. Delicious. There was a free shuttle from where the ship docked into town which was a 10 minute drive or a 45 minute walk. It was another 10 minute walk to Bowpickers. After lunch we decided to tour the Columbia River Maritime museum which included a tour of the Lightship Columbia which is in effect a portable lighthouse. Mooring lines from a different perspective On the way back we met the singer from the show on board and ended up walking the 45 minutes back to the ship talking to her. We also had a helicopter evac in the early am that woke me up.

This 6 day sailing is simple not long enough to fully appreciate the food options and the wide variety of menu options.

There are no drink packages, no packages of any kind, it's all included. Except to unlock my room or exit the ship I have never pulled out my seapass card.

There is a spa on board. They do offer a number of "treatments" at an additional cost however the hydrotherapy pool, wet and dry sauna, heated beds and salt cave are all included. A few pictures. One thing I wound interesting is that unlike most lines Explora does not contract out their spa services or retail so there are no sales pitches. No pictures of the saunas or heated chairs as they were in use at the time. There were also scented showers available.

A few pictures of the cigar lounge and whiskey bar. While I have not been there at night I did step into the cigar bar and there was not a trace of smoke. Definitely a very good ventilation system on board.

Makes it real hard to go to the restaurants. There was also a whole roasted pig at the carving station

Sorry, not a wine drinker. There was a list of a dozen or two included wines, I just did not look closely at it. I will post a list later of some of the premium drinks at the whiskey bar and the upcharge.