EXPLORER semi-live May 15-19 REVIEW w/lots of photos

[CruisinMama2003]

Just wanted to say THANK YOU for taking the time to do this review and post photos. I really hope you do a LIVE review when you are on the Jewel :D

 

Safe travels!

[Jasperdo]

Thank you for a very interesting review. I followed your Explorer of the Seas review last year because we were going on the 8 day Pacific Coastal that September. I found that one a great help, especially all the wonderful photos you took of the ship. This one was just as good. Thanks.

[Biker19]

Thanks for the Victoria info - hope the weather holds for Thursday.

 

 

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[Hoopster95]

Just wanted to say THANK YOU for taking the time to do this review and post photos. I really hope you do a LIVE review when you are on the Jewel :D Safe travels!

 

 

Thx for the nice words. Live on Jewel?... that would be epic and I'd consider it if I were solo, but if I have my phone with me on this sailing my GF will :mad:... well.... you can use your imagination! :o:eek:

I only tried a semi-live here because I was so close to home. In fact, I was still taking a few work calls here and there when needed. On Jewel, I will be disconnecting almost totally, so it'll be back to my old format of a review when I get back.

 

 

 

Thank you for a very interesting review. I followed your Explorer of the Seas review last year because we were going on the 8 day Pacific Coastal that September. I found that one a great help, especially all the wonderful photos you took of the ship. This one was just as good. Thanks.

 

Thank you for the kind words Jasperdo

[Hoopster95]

Thanks for the Victoria info - hope the weather holds for Thursday.

 

 

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Hey Biker! I hope you're doing great currently on Explorer.

Long range forecast for Victoria shows warm and sunny through to approx Wednesday, mostly cloudy Thursday with 20% precip, then full on rainy day Friday 80% precip. So hopefully you'll miss any rain. :)

[bigeck]

Thanks for the Victoria info.

Looks a lot better than I expected.

Much appreciated

[Biker19]

Hey Biker! I hope you're doing great currently on Explorer. . :)

 

Sunny and 68 in Juneau - was on the broken Flowrider this morning all by myself.

 

 

 

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[Hoopster95]

Awesome biker! First time I was in

Juneau it was the first week of July and was driving rain and maybe 45'ish. You just never know... Good for you [emoji4]

 

 

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[OceansOfTravels]

Hello! I just read both your 2017 and your 2016 review of this cruise, and I thoroughly enjoyed both. I like what I am seeing out of Victoria and Nanaimo, they both look like places you could take a good camera and go on a photography trip. I have some friends in Seattle I have been trying to visit, maybe I could pair a trip to see them with this itinerary. Thank you for the great writing, I really enjoy your style, so I would love to read some of your other trip reports as well!! Thanks again for writing!

 

 

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[perfect match]

Thanks for your review, Hoopster! I enjoyed it very much, as usual. I will be looking for your review on Jewel, have to go check your signature to see when you will be sailing. :D

 

OK, I just checked your signature and while I do want to read your Jewel review, I really can't wait to see your reviews on the two Oceana cruises you have planned!

Edited May 29, 2017 by perfect match
Update

[MoyCoy]

Great Review~!

 

Can you expand on your comment about the dinning. You mentioned they had new choices for Breakfast. You also mentioned you liked the Windjammer more than MTD. Can you go a little deeper please. My family and I were thinking about foregoing formal night and eating in the Windjammer. We are sailing with my BIL who normally sails on NCL. He is not a fan of dressing up for formal night:D

We live in Seattle and will sail the Explorer this Sept on a 7 night Pacific Coastal. I agree with wanting warmer weather. We almost cancelled because of this. BUT indeed we are looking forward to not flying. We have flown to the East Coast a lot lately. The Easy Peasy of driving to port is tantalizing~

 

Thank you for your recommendation of Port Parking. I know that you liked Amorey, but I wonder , in your research.. did you find a cheaper option ---if one wants to leave the car at home ? We live on the East Side.

 

Thanks!

[Hoopster95]

Great Review~!Can you expand on your comment about the dinning. You mentioned they had new choices for Breakfast. You also mentioned you liked the Windjammer more than MTD. Can you go a little deeper please. My family and I were thinking about foregoing formal night and eating in the Windjammer. We are sailing with my BIL who normally sails on NCL. He is not a fan of dressing up for formal night:D

 

First and foremost.... on RCL these days you can easily wear jeans and polo shirt into the MDR, even on formal night, and be served without any issues. "Formal night" is LOOOOOOOOOOONG GONE from RCL. Stick with the MDR perhaps.

 

Re the MTD vs WJ dinner experience, my MTD meal was one of the best ones in the last several sailings, my GF it was one of her worst ones!!! You just never ever know.... different chefs, different products sourced from different areas, issues in the kitchen, equipment malfunction... who knows how hot or cold you get your meal, etc etc etc. There are hundreds of variables. My last WJ dinners on Radiance and Jewel were blah.... here on EX it was great with excellent selections.... again you just never know.

 

BIL and NCL.... maybe if you get a deal in one of the specialties you guys should go since he's used to freestyle. You may never want to go back to the MDR ;)

 

re breakfast, still had the same meusli area, pancakes/waffle area, omelette/egg station, etc.

but this time they had several new premade dishes (eggs florentine, a couple of other I didn't try)

The eggs benny were equal to the MDR.

 

 

We live in Seattle and will sail the Explorer this Sept

 

We've had incredibly great weather in Sept for many years, so hopefully San Fran and Victoria will be really warm and sunny for you when you sail (the Golden gate sailaway is awesome!!!)

 

Thank you for your recommendation of Port Parking. I know that you liked Amorey, but I wonder , in your research.. did you find a cheaper option ---if one wants to leave the car at home ? We live on the East Side.

Thanks!

 

Hi McCoy... not one single other option anywhere close to pier 91.... they have a monopoly (unless you "stay & cruise" at a hotel the night before)

[Biker19]

+1 for the David Foster walk around Victoria harbor- weather was great yesterday.

 

 

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[MoyCoy]

Thank you!!!

 

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[KuffMUp]

We had an option to stop at Qualicum Village, which is an artsy seaside village right on the shore with a few shops and restaurants, but we decided we wanted to get back to Nanaimo early enough to go back to the Cafe we found last year with the 1st & 2nd prize award for best Nanaimo Bars in town. GF had a snooze while I drove, and in no time we dropped off the car. It was around 2:45'ish so still plenty of time before all aboard at 4:30

 

The car rental was basically one block below the beginning of the Old Quarter of Nanaimo where this Cafe is located

 

 

 

Ah I can just taste it now as we got closer up the street.... salted caramel 1st price winning Nanaimo Bar... so ooey and gooey, and totally delish.... YUMMMM....

 

 

 

And when we got inside they were sold out!!! What a drag, their 2nd prize winner was sold out too, probably by our fellow cruises earlier in the day. I hadn't factored that in....ah well. Another store around the corner had the "normal" little squares so we enjoyed a small piece each just to tide us over.

 

So we walked back down over the Bastion bridge to Bastion Square, down to the waterfront walkway, and out to the street to get back to the ship. This walk in total was maybe 20-25 minutes total. We were back on board by 3:30pm. Here's a few photos along the way.

 

 

 

 

Online I found a map to the Nanaimo Bar Trail! There are 39 places to visit in Nanaimo.

[GandAMom]

C.f.

We're on the Explorer for the first time in August to see Alaska. Very happy to see this review pop up, I'll be following!

 

We'll be on this one mid August as well!