jsea

I’ve not read anything definitive after a forum search.
 

The placement of the sconces suggests not, but I would appreciate if anyone has any experience or insight.
 

Thanks in advance.

9 hours ago, Sox Fan Cruiser said:

But I Am truly baffled by what they are. 

I had a few guesses:

• stanchions with downcast lighting (to reduce glare while still illuminating the deck) but a nighttime aerial video of the deck showed no light emanating from said stanchions 

• speakers

• stanchions containing WiFi devices to help with Princess medallion tracking 

Has anyone seen a refund hit their credit card for the lost day on the Oct 3 voyage?

I also like how the suites have real books on the bookshelves.

4 hours ago, florisdekort said:

 

 

Dinner at Emporium Marketplace however is not for us. Please note the “not for us”. I totally appreciate that many will love it, so please respect our opinion as well. At dinner, we just want to sit down, order and relax. We really enjoy table service. Emporium Marketplace is the precise opposite. For every course, you need to get up, go to a station, and place your order. You then have to wait for your order to be finished (5+ minutes at the pasta station and even longer at the grill) and carry your plate back to your table. Ironically, when you’re walking back, waiters approach you to ask if they can carry your plate. After standing for 5+ minutes, I think I can handle the final 5 seconds as well, thank you 🤣 There was only one Chef cooking pasta and each dish takes 5+ minutes. My partner’s pasta was cooked first, so by the time I got back to the table with my plate, he was already nearly finished. Not the dinner experience I’m looking for. I also don’t see how this concept is going to work on a full ship; the queues would be horrendous. We ran into the GM over coffee and he said that Explora is “very aware” of the problem, and is already looking at changes, including handing out buzzers. I couldn’t help myself and replied that buzzers would make me feel like dining at a Sizzler’s. Hopefully they come up with a better solution. 

Agree with your analysis / impression completely. Hopefully Explora figures out ways to make the experience better. 
 

The food is great. The staff is wonderful. The standing around like a doofus waiting for your meal is not. As you note, it’s an issue even when the ship is empty. I am not certain how certain stations will not be jammed when a full passenger compliment is onboard.

Glad to see that E1 got the premier parking spot this time.

I had room service two times while onboard (dinner and breakfast). The quality was better than any other line I’ve tried.

Slick marketing clip from Explora:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyYf4YxrK2f/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Interestingly Moet brut rosé was complimentary but not listed as such on the bar menus. A pleasant surprise.

I’d like to note that EJ got it right and ALL pools were open yesterday during our wonderful, mostly sunny time at sea. And they were all used by happy guests.

My transfer to The Edition was flawless and via private black SUV. Room ready at 10am. 
 

EJ certainly has issues, and I had my doubts about this amended day with early departure from the ship, but for me, Explora came through (I will assume I got lucky).

Pleasantly surprised to see that my transfer to The Edition Hotel is via private sedan and not group bus. Thank you for doing it right, Explora.

As an update:

• Helios pool is open and looks great. 
• Conservatory pool remains closed. 
• Atoll pool remains closed.

• Astern pool is partially filled and open.

Will they have the pools open by then? At 9:30am on our first sunny day in a while, all pools are empty or closed. This despite the daily schedule showing the Conservatory Pool open at 8:00am.

I have never asked for a modification on Seabourn, but isn’t TK known for being run by TK “himself” and not the cruise line? Even down to the specific volume at which background music is played?

Roasted black sesame ice cream at Sakura = 🤤.

One oddity: emergency pathway lighting has been on the entire voyage. Perhaps my memory is failing me, but I don’t recall this being active at all times on other ships.

11 hours ago, Hlitner said:

I do think the big weakness in the onboard cuisine are the desserts.

Not disagreeing, but on the dessert front, a few standouts (for me):

• chocolate mouse at The Emporium (I am generally not a fan of the dessert - but their version is *fantastic*
• berry soufflé at Fil Rouge

• fried beignets at Marble & Co.

They do restock supplies even in small ports. Today in Baie-Comeau (population approximately 9100 with greater “metro” area being approximately 21,000 per Wikipedia) I saw a pickup truck parked right next to the gangway with a delivery of multiple crates of milk. 
 

And the orange juice does seem to be fresh squeezed at The Emporium (as I had a seed in mine - not a complaint).

She’s open again today. But, for maintenance.

1 hour ago, Waltershipman said:

Indeed thank you 

 

Truly for us the service was not at all  slow it was more akin to a well pace special dinner that one might enjoy for special occasions plus the restaurant is beautiful. We still made it to the show 

 

Because EJ is so new I knew it was helpful to me before boarding to see what others thought  I also knew that my experience would be unique to me so I did not want to be tainted

 

Its really a lovely cruise. I will continue to post and I appreciate your kind words anout my posts

 

Thank you 

Agree with your sentiments wholeheartedly. The staff lets you pace dinner as quickly or as slowly as you desire.

21 hours ago, kelleherdl said:

They need to turn the heat up on the pancake griddle. It takes entirely too long to make my fresh blueberry pancakes. 😀. The young lady cook has never been to a Waffle House. 😀. She does do a wonderful job, and they are delicious. When she would see me coming each morning she would immediately start a couple. Their training is so rigorous she even temperature checks them to ensure doneness. Which to my thinking is over the top, but I can wait. 

Yes - it takes a very long time to get pancakes and other items. On the one hand, the fact that they are prepared on demand is fantastic, on the other, it leads to folks congregating in the area and I don’t see how it will work well when the ship is at capacity. 
 

One idea is for tables to have discrete number markings. You let the kitchen staff know your table number and then a runner will deliver it to your table when ready.

1 hour ago, CJANDH said:

I had been reading posts that said there was no directional signage or deck plans posted around the ship. As a result I spent some time copying deck plans for eac deck with public areas into a word document that I have printed out to take on my cruise in March. Maybe I didn't need to go to this effort. Anyway, in case anyone wants a guide to carry with them, I have attached the file below.

Explora I deck plan.docx 516.79 kB · 8 downloads

We must be reading the same posts because prior to boarding I was under the impression one needed to leave a trail of breadcrumbs in order to not get lost 😂.

To keep it balanced, here are my quibbles

thus far:

• Pools and hot tubs are mostly empty / closed. The exception is The Conservatory.

• AC in cabin cannot keep up with the radiant heat from the sun. I wonder what will happen on warm weather itineraries.

• Boutiques need some lower end merchandise / sundries.

Having a fantastic time. Service is amazing. Staff seem eager to please and I’ve noted zero aloofness from the crew.

Perhaps this is new, but there are wayfinding placards and stanchions throughout the ship.

19 minutes ago, Waltershipman said:

The Emporium staff is fantastic  as are the offerings . Total 1st class

 

I think its much better than Seabourn by a lot although  we totally enjoyed Seabourn too

Agree. And the variety is quite nice at The Emporium. More diverse selection than anything I’ve seen at sea before. I’ll be curious to see if they can handle a ship at full capacity with the same degree of efficiency.