"LIVE" from Explorer of the Seas / Nov 10, 2011

[TPKeller]

OK. . .It’s time to board !

 

 

Do they really have you board on Deck 2? Not higher up in the Centrum area?

 

Theron

[*Sparkle*]

:pYes, they do just like when you are in port.........so you can 'explore' the Explorer from bottom to top! :p

[OhioCruiserDude]

Great reading keep it up loveing it. Its helping with the withdraws.

Radio the pics of the Promanade seem like its very narrow. I know its smaller than the Freedom class, but do you notice the difference?

[ETski]

Radio Thanks for the great pictures and live thread. I feel like I'm on my cruise 2 months earlier. Enjoy your cruise and your relaxing sea days. Sea days down and back are what we love, when doing the longer cruises out of Cape Liberty. Kinda of gives you time to unwind prior to getting to the islands.

Counting down the days till our Jan EOS cruise............................

[madra2112]

Favor: could you find out how long the outdoor running track is? My daughter and I are training for our first half-marathon in February, and we have to stay on our training schedule while we're on our 11-nighter. It would help to have the track length so we can plan our workouts.

 

Five laps of the track is one mile.

[kendallrc]

How are the seas this morning? I'm guessing its very cold. Can't wait to see more pics.

Happy Veterans Day to all who have served.

 

Kendall

[Freo]

Thank you for taking the time for doing another "Live" report. :)

 

It's like a sneak preview for our 12 day Southern Caribbean cruise on the Explorer next month. ;)

[Sugar*Magnolia]

Diva, thanks for the update. If you are at exit 8, I'm figuring you were around Jamesburg/Heightstown? I'm exit 5, and we'll be leaving around 8AM on 12/1. I'll bet we'll hit some rush hour stuff.

 

Im closer to Cranbury. But, I do this drive fairly often. Even with the recent construction widening on the tpk, I would leave no earlier than 9am. You will not experience rush hour traffic and arrive at Cape Liberty the same time. Leaving earlier will just put you in traffic, but you wont arrive earlier. You should be 1.5 hrs from bayonne. My cousins live off Exit 5. It will just take you longer if you leave early, and most likely a shorter drive, time-wise if you leave later. [hope that makes sense, lol] Either way, you will love explorer! :)

[Radio]

Do they really have you board on Deck 2? Not higher up in the Centrum area?

 

Theron

 

We boarded on Deck 1. . .

 

 

Radio

;);)

[Radio]

Radio

Good morning everyone. . Welcome to Day 2 of “LIBE” from Explorer of the Seas.

 

I had a lot of trouble connecting last night. I usually write all of my posts in the Cabin, then go down to the Connoisseur Club to connect and send pics and post. Not last night though. . .I was getting no signal in the CC, so I went to the Promenade. . .A very weak signal was obtained, but not enough to connect.

 

I finally went up to the Viking Crown Lounge. . .and I had a very strong connection, with very fast speeds (1100kps). I need to check out the connection areas today to see where my connection will work. I can always go to Royal Caribbean On Line (Internet Café), but I am unable to post any pics from there. . .

 

I went to Portifino last night and had a wonderful dinner. . . I took MedicKen, and Cruiselover58, and it was supposed to be my treat, but they tricked me, and took care of the charges when I wasn’t looking. . .OK, MedicKen I owe you, and we will be going again later this week. It was a great meal, and I am looking forward to it.

 

 

The Welcome Aboard Parade was last night, and I can’t believe I was able to stay up for it (10:30PM) but there was a ton of passengers who attended. The music was good, and I’m glad I stayed up.

 

We have our Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle this morning at 10AM, with a Cabin Crawl following the event. It will be nice to meet all of those who we have been chatting with over the last several months.

 

I am not sure what the weather will be today, but it appears early that it will be cloudy, and cool. I am hoping for sunny skies and warmer weather later this afternoon, but we will find out soon.

 

 

Here are a few pics from last night, and this morning. . .Thanks for all of the nice comments, and thanks for tuning in !

 

Radio

 

 

 

 

 

They advised me that I couldn’t climb up the ladder. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is nice that Passengers do not have to take their life vests to the Muster Drill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A view from the Helipad just before Sail away

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our CD welcome all Passengers to the Bon Voyage Parade

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of the departments (Casino, Beverage, etc) were highlighted during the parade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A lot of passengers stayed up late for this parade. . .

 

 

 

 

.

[Radio]

Here are a few more . . . More pics this afternoon !

 

 

Radio

 

 

 

 

It was very quiet this morning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Main Dining Rooms must have been set up last night

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ahhh. . . Coffee is what I need right now ! (Concierge Lounge)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is no rain, but is it very cool (50F)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The seas look rougher than they feel. . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sun should be up soon. . .

 

 

 

 

.

[Radio]

Here is our current location. . . It should be getting much warmer today.

 

 

Radio

;);)

 

 

 

 

[2techs]

Wow! Awesome pics. . . any idea where you are now? Do they have a GPS that is visible to the passengers? Keep the pics coming and the posts. . . . it's a great way to travel with you!

[2techs]

Im closer to Cranbury. But, I do this drive fairly often. Even with the recent construction widening on the tpk, I would leave no earlier than 9am. You will not experience rush hour traffic and arrive at Cape Liberty the same time. Leaving earlier will just put you in traffic, but you wont arrive earlier. You should be 1.5 hrs from bayonne. My cousins live off Exit 5. It will just take you longer if you leave early, and most likely a shorter drive, time-wise if you leave later. [hope that makes sense, lol] Either way, you will love explorer! :)

 

Diva,

Makes perfect sense.

I'm working 3rd shift the night b/4 our cruise. . . I'll just leave work @ 7AM,go home and change, and point the car north! Thanks for all the valuable info.

[pkexton]

did someone say COFFEE????? i think i have a couple Starbucks VIAs stashed...someplace!!!:p:D

 

see ya on the ship!

 

yeah and now Starbucks is gonna start selling the Keurig K-Cups - can't wait for them:D

 

Pat

[puppydog1]

HOPR THE SHIP IS BETTER ON YOUR CRUISE JUST RETURNED AND THE SMELL ALL WEEK WAS HORRIBLE, ACTUALLY DISGUSTING. NEXT TIME I WOULD RATHER HAVE THE CRUISE CANCELLED THAN SMELL SEWAGE MOST OF THE CRUISE. REALDAMPER FOR THOSE IN MY GROUP THAT WERE FIRST TIME CRUISERS AS WELL AS THE REST OF US WHO WERE FIRST TIME RC CRUISERS.:mad:

 

THE STAFF WAS MORE THAN WONDERFUL ESPECAILLY THE WAIT STAFF. :rolleyes:

[will773]

Great pics so far! "Next three days and four nights at sea..." Must be nice! ;)

 

Hope it warms up for you!

[Susie51]

Here's a screenshot of Explorer as she was passing under the bridge:

 

 

Looks like Will773 beat me to posting screenshots of Explorer...

 

She's so pretty at night.

[johneeo]

On our cruise I found that the WIFI in the Viking Lounge very good. Not at all any issues with the speed from there, hit it every morning at about 6 AM.

[Susie51]

Here is our current location. . . It should be getting much warmer today.

 

 

Radio

;);)

 

 

 

 

 

I like this map of your location. I hope you will be able to do more of these. When I saw the promenade pic the slogan "where I belong" went through my head. Ohhhh . . .how I wish I was there.

[Virtopia]

This is exactly what I want to do the first morning of my cruise ... get up extra early and pretend that the ship is all mines while everyone is sleeping. That will be a good time to get in a lot of pictures.

[2techs]

HOPR THE SHIP IS BETTER ON YOUR CRUISE JUST RETURNED AND THE SMELL ALL WEEK WAS HORRIBLE, ACTUALLY DISGUSTING. NEXT TIME I WOULD RATHER HAVE THE CRUISE CANCELLED THAN SMELL SEWAGE MOST OF THE CRUISE. REALDAMPER FOR THOSE IN MY GROUP THAT WERE FIRST TIME CRUISERS AS WELL AS THE REST OF US WHO WERE FIRST TIME RC CRUISERS.:mad:

 

THE STAFF WAS MORE THAN WONDERFUL ESPECAILLY THE WAIT STAFF. :rolleyes:

 

Hey Pup,

Where were you on the ship that you experienced the smell? Did you complain? If you did, what was the response? I have heard, however, never experienced it, that the smell of sewage sometimes permeates

rooms on the lower levels. Gees, I hope that future cruisers don't have this problem. . . .

[OhioCruiserDude]

Hey Pup,

Where were you on the ship that you experienced the smell? Did you complain? If you did, what was the response? I have heard, however, never experienced it, that the smell of sewage sometimes permeates

rooms on the lower levels. Gees, I hope that future cruisers don't have this problem. . . .

 

This happened once to us on the Liberty and we were on deck 8 when we were in our room we couldnt smell it but when we opened the door. Ewwww the drain pipe for our neighbors borke and sent water all over there floor our closet and the hall way. Royal did give use free laundery for it. Just one of thos things that happen.

[littlesteelo]

It looks like they had one of the fire doors on the royal promenade shut on your pictures (the big white thing with 'windows' in at the end), can you confirm Radio?

[TPKeller]

We boarded on Deck 1. . .

 

 

Radio

;);)

Ah, I see that now... I started counting from the wrong deck!

 

Sort of a bummer though... at least for first-time cruisers, you really don't get the same "awe" effect as you would coming in at the Centrum level.

 

Theron