Our 3rd Annual Holiday cruise on the Explorer

[The Big Booper]

This was our 3rd consecutive holiday cruise on the Explorer and our 4th overall. We had booked a deck ten inside since we don’t spend a lot of time in the cabin and don’t hide out on the balcony. Our son drives us to the pier and picks us up so we don’t have to worry about paint overspray in the parking lot. We had been following the blizzards totally shutting down England and Heathrow airport and felt that if we got to the pier early we could avoid the bad traffic on the Cape Liberty access road and visit the Pier Coordinator’s desk after checking in, to see what they were offering.

We got to the pier at 10:30 with only a backup of 10 cars ahead of us before the tent drop off area, definitely the way to go. We were so early, we had to wait 10 minutes until they booted up the computer network. After checking in, an agent led us to the Pier Coordinator’s desk where we upgraded from the L to a D2 for a small amount. We then headed onto the ship, scooting right by the photographers and headed to deck 11 and the Windjammer. The best two sounds in the world – the initial clunk as your photo is taken for the SeaPass card on the dock and the ding-dong as the elevator door opens up for the first time on a trip.

We were glad to see that the Christmas Village was back in the Windjammer, a nice display and different then the year before. The ship seems to make a new one every year.

2010 display

 

 

2009 display

 

I forgot to take a picture of the sailaway display in the Windjammer but it looked similar to last years.

After lunch we headed down to deck 5 to check out the decorations and were happy to see that the tree was back. It is an artificial tree so I had no doubts. The ship’s channel 14 has a video the first couple of days showing the tree being assembled, in speed up mode.

Now up to the cabin to track down the luggage.

[The Big Booper]

We then headed up to our new cabin, which was deck 7 near the forward elevator bank. After dropping off the carry ons and quickly unpacking them, we headed to deck 10 to our original cabin to see if the luggage had arrived. Since we had gotten to the ship so early our luggage was there and it wasn’t even 2 o’clock, all but one bag. No one was around so we each took bags and rolled them back to the elevators and down to the cabin. I left Nancy to unpack, which she does faster and better then me. I had the receipt for the pier upgrade with me if a steward questioned why I was picking up bags outside a cabin that wasn’t ours. The form shows old and new cabin. But no one stopped us. The missing bag wasn’t there so I started back to our new cabin to help Nancy but noticed in the crew elevator area the missing bag, which I quickly gathered up, waving the receipt and my SeaPass card in front of the baggage handler. He offered to help me move our bags down to the new cabin but I said he wasn’t needed but thank you anyway.

Lesson of the day – NEVER PUT ANYTHING REALLY VALUABLE IN YOUR CHECKED LUGGAGE.

This was our first D cabin after a succession of E’s and the extra 11 feet was not really that noticeable, but it was easier moving around the cabin by the wall and the balcony door. My job, after she unpacks, is to get the luggage arranged under the bed and I noticed that I had more room to maneuver the bags. The only limitation for us on a no fly trip is what we can get into the car after the 3 passengers are in. No SUV here.

The Cabin

 

 

The couch

 

 

One of the bedside fixtures was missing the main bulb assembly and even though I mentioned it to the steward it was never fixed; guess they had no spares.

The good fixture

 

The bad fixture

 

Not a major point.

We were happy to hear the announcement that the lifeboat drill was put off until the next day and after unpacking we headed up to Dizzy’s for the unofficial M & M.

*

[The Big Booper]

Freed from the necessity of the life boat drill (it was cold out there) we headed up to Dizzy’s for the unofficial M & M. Very few of the CC group made it up there because of late arrivals so I took a few quick shots and headed downstairs for the welcome parade which had been moved up to 5:30 PM. I guess that they did it because of all the children on board but going there meant we missed the sailaway. Life’s choices.

.

Looking thru the haze -

 

The QM2 docked at Red Hook in Brooklyn

 

 

NCL Jewel glides past us

 

 

Sunset over NJ, the home (temporary) of Snooki and The Situation. Yo!

 

 

We missed the view as the Explorer scooted under the bridge but from last year…..

Same bridge, a year older.

Once upon the Promenade, we found our buddies Sy and Marcella, also from Rockland, who had saved us good seats for the parade outside Cafe Promenade.

 

And then it started...............

[The Big Booper]

There is always so much going on during the parades that you need a team of photographers to cover it properly. I had my old 2004 large P & S which has a powerful pop-up flash that reaches up to 40 feet to get the performers on the promenade and the new small Lumix with the weak flash to shoot the spot lit performers up on the bridge where flash wasn’t needed and wouldn’t work properly.

 

 

 

 

 

[The Big Booper]

More shots -

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then up to change for the evening activities. Since we got our bags so early, we were fully unpacked and could get to the show. We got our first glimpse of Jimmy (yes we saw him on the bridge during the parade but I was focused on everything going on around us) and then the comedian who was dull because he couldn't use his "A" stuff with all the kids seated up front. You would think that a cruise comedian would have some material suitable for when there were kids in the auditorium but not him.

 

Then the dancers and singers came on for their introductory number.

 

 

Then on to dinner, hadn't had a thing since we scarfed up some chocolate chip cookies before and after the parade. Starving.:rolleyes:

[tonythewop]

Hi David,

GREAT START and GREAT PICTURES !!!:D

 

How's tax season, ours will be starting soon !!:eek:

Oh..I miss the cruise !!:(

[tonythewop]

I just noticed...what the heck are you doing up at 3:30 in the morning ??? :eek::eek:

[The Big Booper]

I just noticed...what the heck are you doing up at 3:30 in the morning ??? :eek::eek:

 

Gearing up for tax season.

 

And sometimes I don't turn the machine off so the green light stays on.

[silvercrikhix]

Great start.......anticipating more of your Holiday Cruise review! Thank you for sharing your experience.

 

Tax Season? :o Ugh....DH is a CPA...here we go again....season number 37! Almost time to retire from the madness! He does have a great cruise awaiting him on April 28th aboard the Explorer OTS, so that'll help keep him rollin'! :D

 

Dreaming of Floating...........................................

[The Big Booper]

Great start.......anticipating more of your Holiday Cruise review! Thank you for sharing your experience.

 

Tax Season? :o Ugh....DH is a CPA...here we go again....season number 37! Almost time to retire from the madness! He does have a great cruise awaiting him on April 28th aboard the Explorer OTS, so that'll help keep him rollin'! :D

 

Dreaming of Floating...........................................

 

Tax season pays the bills.......but how can he get away on April 28th. I am still plowing thru the extended returns and the 1Q payroll taxes. We are going on the Allure 5/15, that is the earliest I feel is safe.

[Sugar*Magnolia]

Great stuff, Dave!

Funny the different opinions people have. We felt the extra (albeit very little) space between the E and D cabins was noticable.

We were up in Dizzys so we didnt see the welcome parade, Im happy you posted your pictures of it!

Looking forward to more!

Stacey

[The Big Booper]

Great stuff, Dave!

 

Funny the different opinions people have. We felt the extra (albeit very little) space between the E and D cabins was noticable.

 

We were up in Dizzys so we didnt see the welcome parade, Im happy you posted your pictures of it!

 

Looking forward to more!

 

Stacey

 

Actually, while putting the luggage under the bed, I did feel that it was easier to maneuver around that end of the cabin, the eleven feet do make a difference there. At my age, flexibility or lack of it in getting up and down from the floor is very noticible and the extra space to reach and brace comes in handy.

 

However, if the choice is a D far from the elevator tower or a hump E, I would go humping :D. I think the E hump is bigger then a regular E.

 

The D1 we saw on the cabin crawl seemed longer then our D2, judging by the couch.

 

The review is pre-written in MS Word, with photo insert bullets embedded in the text with photo album page, one doc per post, figuring in the 6 photo limit per post.

 

I'm going to put a separate post in comparing couch sizes with photos from var. Explorer trips. We've never been on the Voyager and the Adventure trip was shot in 35mm. The Navigator and Mariner cabins are really not quite the same even though the ships look the same. I also have our Indy hump E from the 2008 TA and that cabin was listed as 177, same as the Explorer.

[Sugar*Magnolia]

Thats funny, I just went & looked at your cabin pics again....a 2 cushion couch... our D had a 3 cushion couch. I tought the 2 cushion was in the E cabins, not the D's..hmm, confusing. I would definitely take an E by the hump before a D far from the elevators too.

[The Big Booper]

Thats funny, I just went & looked at your cabin pics again....a 2 cushion couch... our D had a 3 cushion couch. I tought the 2 cushion was in the E cabins, not the D's..hmm, confusing. I would definitely take an E by the hump before a D far from the elevators too.

 

This is a D1 from the cabin crawl.

 

 

This is our D2.

 

 

Indy OTS hump E

 

[Sugar*Magnolia]

Independence is the nicest...

[The Big Booper]

Independence is the nicest...

 

Indy is gorgeous. We were on it when it was 5 months old on the TA and the whole ship seemed sparkling, esp. the dining room. Because of time pressure I never mounted a full album on webshots but will try to get it done soon.

[The Big Booper]

At dinner, we were seated with a lovely family of British ex-pats now living in Spain who conduct their business mostly on the internet and have no desire to go back to England and it’s snowy and dreary weather.

After dinner we wandered around the ship sampling all the musical acts before calling it a night. We had the heat turned up a bit because of the chill and wind. No opening the balcony door tonight.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----

Next morning dawned still a bit chilly, not a pool day. But we had the official Meet and Mingle scheduled in the morning, before the life boat drill. The shindig was held in the Maharajah Lounge at the front of the ship on deck 5, a nice big square room. There were about 40 or 50 people there, not bad for a 9:30 AM event. Everybody who brought a gift left it on a table and eventually received another gift. We received a beautiful hand made embroidered cloth ( Nancy knows what this is but she is out while I type this).

Various door prizes were drawn and after we all learned the faces behind the CC names, we scattered throughout the ship.

Jane wins two bottles of bubbly!

 

 

Tony with the unusual screen name

 

[The Big Booper]

I don't know the names of some of the people here so I will not put names in, except for a couple of people.

 

CruiseDivaNJ and Mr. CDNJ :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

more pics ahead.............................

[The Big Booper]

I don't know the names of some of the people here so I will not put names in, except for a couple of people.

 

CruiseDivaNJ and Mr. CDNJ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

more pics ahead.............................

[The Big Booper]

 

 

 

 

[The Big Booper]

Since the weather was still chilly and windy we hung around the ship all day, doing our quota of trivias.

But first, the dreaded life boat drill. Our station was outside and we put a sweater and our winter coats on to brave the chill. Thank goodness, no more stylish orange neck accessories with a whistle and Velcro clasps.

We entered the Progressive Trivia, the winner of whom wins a fab collection of RCI trinkets. All the team has to do is to score the highest over the 4 sessions, but alas, we sucked big time and finished 8th or so. Oh well. One thing, over the 14 day cruise we only had 4 sessions, which is far fewer then the 7 or 8 normally held on a big tournament like this. One more questionable choice by JR.

We noted that the purveyor of fine artwork, Park West, is no longer on the ship. No more gala art auctions almost every day, just a few with the new outfit, Peter Max Fine Art. A big improvement.

The pool band, Caribbean Fusion, sensibly decided to cancel their performance on the wind tunnel known as deck 11 and moved indoors, along with the passengers. We had a concert on the Promenade during the afternoon.

After this, Nancy decided to sample the stores as run by the new operator while I visited my two lovely girl friends one deck below. No smoking tonight and James Bond and some unknown hottie will be there.

In honor of the special event in the casino, the 5 PM trivia was all about James Bond, the noted bird guy. No kidding, Ian Fleming was looking around for a name for his new super spy, Agent #007, and noticed a coffee table book on his, where else, coffee table, written by the esteemed bird guy, Mr. Bond. And so, a legend was born who lives on in many novels and movies, some totally ludicrous. Come on, Denise Richardson as a top nuclear physicist. With a super sexy blond mane. Anyway, the Bond trivia was totally esoteric and we got 3 right which sounds terrible until you consider that the winner got……..6 right. Out of 20. Do you know what drink Goldfinger liked? Well, nobody else did either. And so on.

After the trivia we headed upstairs to get out of our matching tee shirts and get gussied up for the first formal night. We passed on the Captains holiday welcome, haven’t been to one of those in years. The ship looked great with romantic lighting, per Nancy. She sees romance, I see…………photo-op!

 

On to dinner. !!

[silvercrikhix]

Come back, Big Bopper! Anxiously awaiting your return and continuing review! We got extra time for tax season this year (*&%@#) so you have some extra time to get your work done later? .....LOL.... DH is NOT impressed with the added days due to D.C. having a vacation day that NO ONE ELSE gets!!

 

P.S. DH is ready for vaca and a cruise as early as April 28th because he has some awesome staff, who know it's time for him to chill by then!

 

Still Dreaming of Floating...........................................