Calling all recent Explorer cruisers

[eblovesdc]

How was the food quality, selection on this ship? I realize this is a very subjective question but I'd love to hear your opinions. Any additional experiences/advice you have about the ship would be greatly appreciated. I'd like to know all the knitty gritty details before my fiance and I go on our honeymoon cruise this April on the Explorer.

[ppsailor01]

She is an awesome ship. I thought the food was good and the service was amazing. There is so much for you to do and so little time, I would suggest that you just take it easy. Get a Balcony cabin!

[kevnick0814]

She is an awesome ship. I thought the food was good and the service was amazing. There is so much for you to do and so little time, I would suggest that you just take it easy. Get a Balcony cabin!

 

We just got back from an eastern trip on EOS (2/5-2/12) and it was great!

We were first timers but we are hooked for life!

Food - excellent, just make sure your waiter doesn't rush you through your courses. We politely mentioned it night 2 and it never happened again. Table 334, 'Bilal' was the waiter. Great guy.

Service - excellent from top to bottom. We had a balcony on Deck 7 and our stateroom attendant, Winston, was great. I gave him $20 the first day. He was so appreciative! We were top priority after that. Highly recommend the early gratuity.

 

Enjoy the EOS. We miss it already!! :o :)

[ppsailor01]

She was my first cruise and I am also hooked for life.

[Tyler80]

I sailed on Explorer last February for my very first cruise and now I'm hooked for life too! :)

[kevnick0814]

Here are a few things we learned:

 

1. Bring a night light. Man, it is dark when the curtains are drawn! :p

2. Bring a LIGHTED clock radio. We never knew what time it was when we woke up. :rolleyes:

3. Bring your own hair dryer. The one on the ship will not stay ON unless you hold the button down the whole time.

4. Like I said above, tip your stateroom person and your head waiter early. They will really appreciate it. Also, make sure they know your first name(s). I quizzed our guys, jokingly, the first day. They never forgot them.

5. Relax. This is coming from a former stressed out New Yorker. If you feel like you have nothing to do, you probably shouldn't. Just chill...and get another cocktail. :D :D

[ianturner]

Great ship, my wife & I were on her Jan 22 2006

Only one problem the FOOD WAS POOR.

[JanetScho]

Great ship, my wife & I were on her Jan 22 2006

Only one problem the FOOD WAS POOR.

 

I totally agree-We just got off the ship on Sunday and while she is a beautiful ship and we had a ball the food was a dissapointment.

We were on Celebrity Century last year and the food was to die for!

[JanetScho]

We just got back from an eastern trip on EOS (2/5-2/12) and it was great!

We were first timers but we are hooked for life!

Food - excellent, just make sure your waiter doesn't rush you through your courses. We politely mentioned it night 2 and it never happened again. Table 334, 'Bilal' was the waiter. Great guy.

Service - excellent from top to bottom. We had a balcony on Deck 7 and our stateroom attendant, Winston, was great. I gave him $20 the first day. He was so appreciative! We were top priority after that. Highly recommend the early gratuity.

 

Enjoy the EOS. We miss it already!! :o :)

 

We were on the ship with you!

What a blast!

Our only dissapointment was the food.

Wasn't the Cruise Director, Clodaugh O'Connor the best!

[jerick]

We just got back from an eastern trip on EOS (2/5-2/12) and it was great! ...

 

We were also on this cruise. This was our 3rd cruise and the first with RCCL. We loved the ship. The service and all crewmembers are wonderful. The food for the most part was very good, but could have been just a bit better in our opinion. Don't be afraid to experiment or to ask for something else if your first order doesn't suit you.

Bartender Alvin in the pool bar makes some mean drinks. He makes a great Mai Tai. I let him know what I liked and gave him extra tips. Pretty soon he knew me by sight and customized our drinks on request.

Our wait staff, Catalin and Jon (table 341) were the best we've ever had.

Try the dance classes. They're easy and they're taught by the ships dancers.

Don't miss the shows or the Marriage Game.

If you enjoy reading, take a book. Don't feel like you have to be active all the time. Take time to relax.

 

Jeff

[kevnick0814]

We were on the ship with you!

What a blast!

Our only dissapointment was the food.

Wasn't the Cruise Director, Clodaugh O'Connor the best!

 

Very cool! What cabin were you in? We were in 7526. Balcony was a huge plus.

As far as the food; we loved it. Now, with no other cruise to compare I guess our opinions would be slanted. I see that other reviews show the food as average. Oh well, to each his own.

Clo was very funny. I wonder if she started her diet yet?:p

Did you go and see the guy who CLAIMED to be a comedian/impressionist? Maybe Night 5? Oh man, he was brutal. It was almost funny how bad he was! :D

 

Have you ever found out why we changed from Nassau to Freeport? I started a new thread seeing if anyone has the answer.

[Tyler80]

Clodaugh O'Connor is still on Explorer of the Seas? She must love that ship, she was on it a year ago when I sailed in February 2005. She is very funny, and makes you feel like family. I bumped into her many times while on board and she was always a hoot!

[GrandySm]

Lets see how big of a mistake I made with this shp........I am going to float with people that consider jeans as formal wear..........Kids all over the place, probably without supervision.........probably some drunk idiot falling off a rail or jumping..........food that doesn't sound all that great based on these boards..........well at least i'll be able to find out if the CD started her diet

[Spf12]

My wife and I and 22 friends and relatives wera on B2b 1/8 and 1/15 and thought the Explorer was great.Entertainment and service were great.The food was OK but not exceptional.We tried Explorer after 19 cruises on Celebrity,where i think the food is exceptional.However I wouldn't hesitate to sail on RCCL given the ship and itinerary.

[wolfcathorse]

Who was the captain?

[kevnick0814]

Who was the captain?

 

Captain Ole` Johan Gronhaug

 

Seemed fine, not very visible. He was over the sound system several times a day.

[kevnick0814]

Lets see how big of a mistake I made with this shp........I am going to float with people that consider jeans as formal wear..........Kids all over the place, probably without supervision.........probably some drunk idiot falling off a rail or jumping..........food that doesn't sound all that great based on these boards..........well at least i'll be able to find out if the CD started her diet

 

You picked up all those things from this thread?

WOW! I am missing something.

[wolfcathorse]

Captain Ole` Johan Gronhaug

 

Seemed fine, not very visible. He was over the sound system several times a day.

 

TY kevnick0814

[cruzobsessed]

will be on the explorer in june. 4th royal carib cruise 1st on a "voyager class" ship. when you refer to food being poor....... is that the dining room, buffet, or both??? on all our prior cruises we've eaten most of our meals in the windjammer and or portofino's. food is important to us but not the end all.

[Tyler80]

Food is a really tricky thing, as you can see on this post alone, a number of people said the food on Explorer of the Seas was good-great and a number said the food was poor. Personally I thought the food was really good, lots of selection, in the buffett and dining room, it was always hot and really good.

[Puddles]

So......I'm very interested to know why you stopped in Freeport vs. Nassau?? We've been to Nassau three times so Freeport would be a change for us.

 

Thankfully, no excursions have been booked at this port.

 

Any info would be mucho appreciated!

[ssolomon56]

So......I'm very interested to know why you stopped in Freeport vs. Nassau?? We've been to Nassau three times so Freeport would be a change for us.

 

Thankfully, no excursions have been booked at this port.

 

Any info would be mucho appreciated!

 

This posting has to do with EOS - I don't believe it stops in the Bahamas.

[keepitreal]

Thanks for all the great posts. We are going on our first Royal Caribbean cruise on Explorer this July and you guys are making me even more anxious. :)

[divaofdisney]

Well, let me add my thoughts as well. We just recently cruised on the Explorer this past December. We thought the food in the dining room was very good overall. Of course there were some dishes that were better than others but we were very satisfied. And if there is something you don't like, just let your server know- they want you to be satisfied so they do welcome your input. Also, we thought the food in te Windjammer was excellent for lunch. We ate there every day. The Explorer is a great ship and since she was our very first cruise on royal caribbean she will always be special to us.

[Shar27]

We were on the Explorer in January. Thought the food in the dining room was very good. Didn't think much of the food in the Windjammer, but it was good enough. Not really that big a deal. Didn't starve, that's for sure.:rolleyes:

 

Absolutely loved the cruise director, Clo. She was the highlight of the ship. You will just love the Explorer. She is a beautiful ship.

 

Sharonna