Explorer of the Seas April 18-27, Oh those crazy bikers!!

Crazy?!?!? Not really.

Let me start off with the ship. Yeah, she may be mature and getting close to dry dock, but don't let that scare you away. She is magnificent and very well maintained. Our balcony cabin, 7544, served us well for the 9 nights that we were on board her. Food, service, everything, was very good to excellent!!! Well, except for the desserts. We had some good ones, but as a whole, they need some improvement.

Our ports of call where Bermuda, St Martin, St Thomas, and Puerto Rico. From a riding standpoint, Bermuda was our favorite. Roads in great condition, beautiful scenery, and the local Bermudian's (is that what they are called??) couldn't have been more welcoming. Everyone from the residents to the storekeepers stood outside as we went by, taking pictures and waving.

Now for the motorcycle side of it. This type of trip is very organized. You are the first off the ship, and one of the last to get back on. The bikes are stored on deck 1 in the crew area. The driver is given a special crew pass and may access his bike anytime he wants to. You ride as a group lead by the local police and/or local bike clubs. Everything went very smoothly. Between the police, local motorcycle clubs, and the ride captains, you didn't have to worry about being split up. All side roads, stop signs, traffic signals were blocked off so that we could ride straight through without having to worry about traffic. There is a chase vehicle that leads the group in case there are any issues.

Now for some pictures!!!

Bikes at Cape Liberty being checked by the dog before loading on the ship.

Bikes on board in the storage area.

Everyone works as a team to unload the bikes. They can not be fired up until they are outside the ship.

One happy hubby ready to ride off the ship.

What a lovely group of ladies and one gentleman:D. This is what we did while they unloaded.

More to come!!!!

Round 2!!!

One of the first stops was Gibb's Lighthouse.

Locals everywhere watching, waving, photographing us as we pass.

Beautiful homes.

John Smith Bay Beach.

Biker's on the beach.

A beautiful ride!

Looks like a lot of fun.

If you don't mind a personal question how much extra does it cost to bring your bikes?

Round 3!!!

Never can get enough of Bermuda!!

Side road being blocked.

Still in Bermuda. This photo courtesy of Bernews in Bermuda.

My favorite photo. Had just left the gas station and was parked along side the road for everyone finish getting gas. I hopped off the bike. Hubby felt the bike move and thought I was getting back on. He turned around....

We had lunch at Goombay's on Orient Beach. The local bike club, the Long Rider's got us ladies going with line-dancing!

My DH would love to bring his 'baby' on board! Looking forward to your trip report.

How often does this type of sailing take place? Also, how does one participate?

Thank you in advance.

Mary

Looks like a lot of fun.

 

If you don't mind a personal question how much extra does it cost to bring your bikes?

Depends on how many nights the cruise is. For our 9-nighter, it was $325. That included gas, insurance, and permits to ride the islands.

And yes, it was a lot of fun!

My DH would love to bring his 'baby' on board! Looking forward to your trip report.

 

How often does this type of sailing take place? Also, how does one participate?

 

Thank you in advance.

Mary

They do numerous trips every year. To participate, you just call and book. I can't name the TA due to CC guidelines, just Google "motorcycle cruise". Everything is listed there.

I had a least several people everyday when we were on-board asking me this same question. They had no idea they could book a cruise that allowed you to bring your motorcycle along.

My husband would love this!!!! He has 3 Harleys. Is the Explorer the only ship that does this? Do you think the new Quantam will have this available?

Thanks Sharon. Found the info.

Mary

They do numerous trips every year. To participate, you just call and book. I can't name the TA due to CC guidelines, just Google "motorcycle cruise". Everything is listed there.

 

I had a least several people everyday when we were on-board asking me this same question. They had no idea they could book a cruise that allowed you to bring your motorcycle along.

My husband would love this!!!! He has 3 Harleys. Is the Explorer the only ship that does this? Do you think the new Quantam will have this available?

No, not just the Explorer. They do both Celebrity and Royal, out of Bayonne, NJ and Florida. They did do Baltimore. They may still. And yes, I think I remember hearing them saying they would be doing the Quantam. They get a lot of bikers from the NE and Canada.

Round 4!!!

We are now in St Martin/St Maarten.

Maho Beach. Didn't get to see any planes land.

We stopped for lunch on Orient Beach.

No better place to eat. I want this at my house!

Before we left Orient, bikes on the boards.

Round 5!!!

Here we are in St Thomas!

View of Megan's Bay from Mountain Top.

Can't forget the wonderful Banana Daiquiri's.

By the time we rode down from Mountain Top, Megan's Bay beach was busy. To their credit, they make awesome pizza!!!

Lots of ships in port.

Round 6!!!

Puerto Rico.

The Explorer of the Seas

San Juan

Riding along the water.

Roadside food being prepared for the day.

Scary group behind me;)

A few more of Puerto Rico.

Bikes on the beach about to be rained on.

After it rained, we headed back to the port.

And then parked outside Senor Frogs.

Really???

Not sure that helmet is DOT approved.

Here are a few pictures of the ship itself. I won't go into much detail, other than to say that I would not hesitate to sail her again.

I discover this beautiful tropical arrangement when I first entered my cabin.

Okay, not the ship, but Lady Liberty from my balcony before sail-away.

Here is a pic of the safe. A lot of people here ask how big it is. My answer, "not very".

The Royal Promenade.

Loved the area around the stairs.

The Chamber was our favorite place to hang out, drink, and dance.

Thanks for sharing! DH would love this kind of trip. :)

Very cool review

Very interesting, who would of known?!

Excellent picture!!!! Lady Liberty and the Empire State Building composed in the same shot....

Very cool review

Thank you:)

Very interesting, who would of known?!

That's pretty much what I heard everyday on the ship, " I didn't know you could do that". Well, you sure can!

Well, that's just awesome!

Thanks for sharing! DH would love this kind of trip. :)

If you love bikes and cruising, it is a wonderful way to vacation:)

Excellent picture!!!! Lady Liberty and the Empire State Building composed in the same shot....[/font]

Thank you! I also got a shot of the Freedom Tower and my hubby got a shot on his Droid of the Teardrop Memorial.

Here are 2 videos in case you care to ride along. Please excuse the quality. The video wasn't working (probably operator error somehow) on my better camera. I had to use my older P&S. Lots of wind noise!!!!

Please put on your helmet!

Sharon,

You're pictures are incredible!! What kind of camera do you use?

Linda

Sharon,

 

You're pictures are incredible!! What kind of camera do you use?

 

Linda

Thank you!

I brought 2 on the cruise. The one I used the most is my Canon SX40HS. When I wanted something really small I used the Canon SD780.