Dining reservations on Explora

[InsGuy3]

4 hours ago, Lord Haw Haw said:

Recent dining review.

 

Thanks for posting. Awesome review. We are excited to be on board in less than 60 days. Food preferences are very subjective and we will all decide for ourselves. But very positive looking at this video. 

[florisdekort]

7 hours ago, Lord Haw Haw said:

Recent dining review.

 

Thanks for posting but it’s hard to take influencers on a free cruise who use “amazing” in every sentence seriously. Let’s see if they come back to Explora if/when they have to pay $2000 per day. 
 

[Nunagoras]

13 hours ago, florisdekort said:

Thanks for posting but it’s hard to take influencers on a free cruise who use “amazing” in every sentence seriously. Let’s see if they come back to Explora if/when they have to pay $2000 per day. 
 

Actually baseline prices start at EUR 715 per day for a week in one of their ships on the cheapest cabin. Prices are consistent around regions or dates, at least from here where I live. Extremely expensive, especially once one considers a brand new trademark with no established client base... Time will tell. I believe for most of those influencers it was a "first and done", but I also would admit that "Moêt" free flaw round the ship suffixed enough for them to the "amazing" reviews! That is how life would work. Most of those were the usual "3rd line" ones MSC used to invite on their mainstream ships. This was an unusual one for them, they'll never to forget in their lives!...

 

On a positive note, EJ is now postponing their E2 entering on commercial service just for August 2024, when I believe they have more than time to have the ship entirely built by early June or so. They'll then to make the press season with no paying pax or they'll to sell the sampler cruises nearing sailing at a hard discount. That would to be great on them.

[uktog]

2 hours ago, Nunagoras said:

Actually baseline prices start at EUR 715 per day for a week in one of their ships on the cheapest cabin. Prices are consistent around regions or dates, at least from here where I live. Extremely expensive, especially once one considers a brand new trademark with no established client base... Time will tell. I believe for most of those influencers it was a "first and done", but I also would admit that "Moêt" free flaw round the ship suffixed enough for them to the "amazing" reviews! That is how life would work. Most of those were the usual "3rd line" ones MSC used to invite on their mainstream ships. This was an unusual one for them, they'll never to forget in their lives!...

 

On a positive note, EJ is now postponing their E2 entering on commercial service just for August 2024, when I believe they have more than time to have the ship entirely built by early June or so. They'll then to make the press season with no paying pax or they'll to sell the sampler cruises nearing sailing at a hard discount. That would to be great on them.

When was the August delay announced?  E2 still appears on new lists I was sent last week 

[Nunagoras]

24 minutes ago, uktog said:

When was the August delay announced?  E2 still appears on new lists I was sent last week 

Maybe I've seen the wrong way, or I can only capture 1 August onward sailings on the website. Either way, forgive my fault or it's their IT department again...

[morpheusofthesea]

This not a sign of a luxury ship. Booking a cabin for $1000 per person per day and not having the option of dining anywhere we choose. Celebrity is not considered luxury and its top suites have unlimited complimentary specialty dining. It appears we made a mistake for what ‘we’ look for in a cruise. We booked having enjoyed our MSC Yacht Club experiences and were lead to believe that Explora was just an entire ship of the same. No one is talking about entertainment. I have reported and posted video clips of most every entertainment venue on the MSC Seaships and capture audiences standing ovations. Hoping arrival of a cruise director responsible for booking acts for the remainder of this year will save the day?

[morpheusofthesea]

Caught a one women cabaret act on an MSC Seaship, Migali Dahan. So I know these acts exist and MSC is aware of them. According to former head cruise director Gene Young at MSC, that all entertainment since restart is no longer farmed out. That MSC has formed its own production company in Italy.

[saminina]

Geeeeezzzzzz.......why the constant mention of $$$?  I thought the headline for entertainment was "low key." 

[Hlitner]

4 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

This not a sign of a luxury ship. Booking a cabin for $1000 per person per day and not having the option of dining anywhere we choose. Celebrity is not considered luxury and its top suites have unlimited complimentary specialty dining. It appears we made a mistake for what ‘we’ look for in a cruise. We booked having enjoyed our MSC Yacht Club experiences and were lead to believe that Explora was just an entire ship of the same. No one is talking about entertainment. I have reported and posted video clips of most every entertainment venue on the MSC Seaships and capture audiences standing ovations. Hoping arrival of a cruise director responsible for booking acts for the remainder of this year will save the day?

With all due respect, you are talking about the difference between a luxury line, and a "ship within a ship."  On luxury lines, the norm is not to treat anyone "special" when compared to others.  The idea is that everyone is "special" and nobody is entitled.  We also love the YC experience, but overall do prefer the smaller ship luxury lines.  In a sense, when you are on luxury products, nobody is impressed because somebody is in a larger suite or pays more for the cruise.   We actually had this discussion, with some others, when on our last Yacht Club cruise.  The other folks had no interest in luxury lines because they did not like just being one of many....rather than one of a few (their words) in the Yacht Club.

 

We also have never met a cruise director (on any line) who had much to say about booking entertainment.  That is generally done by the home office and arranged a very long time in advance.  Consider that on Seabourn, their main shows (EJ does not even have real shows) are handled by contract through "Belinda King Productions" which is a British/Portuguese company that auditions, hires, trains, and provides the signers/dancers and productions.  Guest entertainers are hired by the home office (with only minimal input from the CDs).  On some larger ships, there is now even a separation between cruise directors and "entertainment directors."  

 

I will add, that on our Seabourn cruises there were a few folks who did seem to get more of a VIP treatment.  They were not the folks in the biggest (or most expensive suites) but rather those who had the most days/cruises on that line.  Bottom line is when folks have over 1000 days on a small ship line, and well liked, they get to know everyone which can pay some dividends in terms of personalized service.  

 

Hank

[Dr. Cocktail]

5 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

This not a sign of a luxury ship. Booking a cabin for $1000 per person per day and not having the option of dining anywhere we choose. Celebrity is not considered luxury and its top suites have unlimited complimentary specialty dining. It appears we made a mistake for what ‘we’ look for in a cruise. We booked having enjoyed our MSC Yacht Club experiences and were lead to believe that Explora was just an entire ship of the same. No one is talking about entertainment. I have reported and posted video clips of most every entertainment venue on the MSC Seaships and capture audiences standing ovations. Hoping arrival of a cruise director responsible for booking acts for the remainder of this year will save the day?

Unfortunately, the option of "dining anywhere you choose" is not really a reality on most of the luxury cruise lines. Regent and Oceania clearly limit you to one booking at one of their specialty restaurants per cruise and your preferred reservation time may very well not be available when it is your time to book. Additional reservations are very hard to come by. There are numerous accounts on CC of the difficulties that people have on booking any of the Silversea specialty restaurants.  The newer Seabourn ships have a tiny first-come, first serve sushi restaurant but Thomas Keller is again one reservation per cruise. As for Celebrity, the amount you're paying for a top suite far exceeds the per diem of the majority of E's suites.

 

I generally second Hlitner's previous post.

 

From the first day that you could book, Explora made it very clear that they would not have a show lounge and the usual large, click tracked production shows.  The numerous smaller lounges would have live music available for the majority of the evening.  That way, you wouldn't be checking your watch during dinner or adjusting your schedule to make the show. That was a HUGE draw for me!  A few of the reviews in the various threads here have alluded to the available acts doing just that.  I know that a favourite Broadway singer of mine will perform when the ship is in the States.

 

Tastes are different but I generally find large cruise ship shows to be wretched - pre recorded mish-mashes of songs that they were willing to pay the rights for! But .... my sister-in-law would disagree with me!

Edited September 16, 2023 by Dr. Cocktail

[Nunagoras]

17 minutes ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

Unfortunately, the option of "dining anywhere you choose" is not really a reality on most of the luxury cruise lines. Regent and Oceania clearly limit you to one booking at one of their specialty restaurants per cruise and your preferred reservation time may very well not be available when it is your time to book. Additional reservations are very hard to come by. There are numerous accounts on CC of the difficulties that people have on booking any of the Silversea specialty restaurants.  The newer Seabourn ships have a tiny first-come, first serve sushi restaurant but Thomas Keller is again one reservation per cruise. As for Celebrity, the amount you're paying for a top suite far exceeds the per diem of the majority of E's suites. - True. And in some of those mid-to-full luxury, only the 2 or 3 very top suites would get any additional booking real privileges, other than everyone else. Another thing to bear in mind is the real number of venues aboard for the pax number: There is only a company that seems able to manage all this in sort of a more liberal way: Viking. But again: 3 table service venues for 930 guests against 5 ones in EJ for 922. I live for you all the conclusions, and I'm not even touching the number of tables per venue. On EJ me thinks both Med YC and Sakura should have had more tables.

 

I generally second Hlitner's previous post. - Count me as one more!...

 

From the first day that you could book, Explora made it very clear that they would not have a show lounge and the usual large, click tracked production shows.  The numerous smaller lounges would have live music available for the majority of the evening.  That way, you wouldn't be checking your watch during dinner or adjusting your schedule to make the show. That was a HUGE draw for me!  A few of the reviews in the various threads here have alluded to the available acts doing just that.  I know that a favourite Broadway singer of mine will perform when the ship is in the States. - This, exactly. Times are changing. Now people just want to relax more and have less stress over time. Minimalism is winning. From cars to cruises. It's all over the place. Let us to have an always ongoing entertainment schedule that we know will always be there rather than a fixed schedule that really will only to stress you to follow. I'm in for the new model as well.

 

Tastes are different but I generally find large cruise ship shows to be wretched - pre recorded mish-mashes of songs that they were willing to pay the rights for! But .... my sister-in-law would disagree with me! - Again; this exactly! Other than RCI's Oasis, Quantum and soon to be Icon classes main Broadway production and main Aqua show (that is say: 2 out of regularly 7 nights), there is really nothing entertainment wise that you shouldn't pretty well have at home from your reliable best regional arts schools regular offering year round or from local mid-name artists out there. Different, perhaps with better sound and lighting, but never better. Lucky you finding a better one, maybe on top luxury lines from time to time. One just needs to read their CC boards to understand those instances are still rare. Give me a regular classical pianist by the atrium with a drink in hand for a while before calling it a night and I'd to be more than happy. For top experiences here there are the top concert halls or soccer stadiums!...

 

[morpheusofthesea]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

when you are on luxury products, nobody is impressed because somebody is in a larger suite or pays more for the cruise. 

I recall booking a cruise on Regent and went on the Regent forum to learn. All the talk by veteran cruisers of Regent were, who booked the Regent Suite on their cruise.

[morpheusofthesea]

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

The other folks had no interest in luxury lines because they did not like just being one of many....rather than one of a few (their words) in the Yacht Club.

I posted when Explora first was advertised. "How is it going to work out at Ocean Cay's Ocean House. It is presently hard to cater to 330 prima donnas at this venue for lunch, how will it be with 750 prima donnas?"

[morpheusofthesea]

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

On some larger ships, there is now even a separation between cruise directors and "entertainment directors."  

I am referring to MSC. I know nothing of how other cruise lines operate.

[morpheusofthesea]

2 hours ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

From the first day that you could book, Explora made it very clear that they would not have a show lounge and the usual large, click tracked production shows

I understand the no big production shows. That is why I brought up the one woman cabaret act, Migali Dahan, type of performers found on MSC ships in their smaller venues.

[morpheusofthesea]

2 hours ago, Dr. Cocktail said:

That was a HUGE draw for me! 

That is just the point. We all have our own list. We made a mistake, it appears. But we will tough it out.

[morpheusofthesea]

4 hours ago, saminina said:

Geeeeezzzzzz.......why the constant mention of $$$?

Because having spent 50 years of cruising 2 lowers on the inside, this is now our last hurrah. We are not holding back. We are throwing money at only the best life has to offer. We have no one to leave it to. "It is better to live rich than die rich." Samuel Johnson

[morpheusofthesea]

4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

On luxury lines, the norm is not to treat anyone "special" when compared to others.  The idea is that everyone is "special" and nobody is entitled.

You may be correct in theory, but we have found out different on the MSC Yacht Clubs booking the top suites. I usually give concrete details, but in this case why spoil your illusions. My conjectures about the luxury lines will probably be the same and I am needlessly worried that it will be any different than what has been stated here. The genies, butlers, hosts are there for a reason for the top suites and have not found a one so far that couldn't perform their 'magic' with a little incentive.

Edited September 17, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

You may be correct in theory, but we have found out different on the MSC Yacht Clubs booking the top suites. I usually give concrete details, but in this case why spoil your illusions. My conjectures about the luxury lines will probably be the same and I am needlessly worried that it will be any different than what has been stated here. The genies, butlers, hosts are there for a reason for the top suites and have not found a one so far that couldn't perform their 'magic' with a little incentive.

We see very little difference in the YC other than the top suites getting access to the silly little "cabanas" (in name only) at the pool area.  We would not even use those things since they are too remote from other folks (we enjoy meeting and socializing with other passengers).  Consider that in the YC, everyone dines in the same restaurant, gets the same cuisine, has the same chefs, etc.  Since nobody has to wait for anything in the YC, and everyone has butlers, we see no real difference among the few suite options.  We cannot say enough good things about the staff we have met in the various YCs.  The only downside of the YC is the cuisine, which is generally not up to the standard we expect on luxury lines. We also miss having caviar.  That being said, we recall one Maitre'd on the Divina who made some amazing world-class pastas in a chafing dish.  I still dream of his cacio e pepe.  

 

On the other hand, when we have been on luxury lines the entire experience has been substantially different than in the YC.  It is not necessarily better or worse, but just different.  Perhaps one might compare it to hotels by saying the YC is like a Concierge floor at a mediocre hotel, while a decent luxury line is like the Ritz Carlton or Four Seasons.   We eagerly await our first cruise on EJ1 to see how it fits into our ideas of what luxury cruising should be.  

 

 

[dolls123]

4 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

I posted when Explora first was advertised. "How is it going to work out at Ocean Cay's Ocean House. It is presently hard to cater to 330 prima donnas at this venue for lunch, how will it be with 750 prima donnas?"

I heard Ocean House is only open to people staying in residences 

[morpheusofthesea]

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We see very little difference in the YC other than the top suites getting access to the silly little "cabanas" (in name only) at the pool area. 

This is where we differ, again. It is on our list.

That is why cruising has so many types of ships. If exotic destinations are ones 'wish list' like Antarctica or the Society Islands, then smaller ships are the only way to go. If "dancing" is a priority a good travel agent could research which ships and theme cruises would satisfy ones desire. I recall dancing every evening on NCL Breakaway in their 'Manhattan Supper Club'. One just has to make up ones own list'. Here is our list for those that might have missed it, that Yacht Club has all of them.

Never sailed on a MSC ship in a cabin outside the Yacht Club. But we can list now all the things to look out for when booking any cruise ship.

#1 E muster drill is better

#2 Two cabin cleanings per day

#3 No % charge for gambling if using credit card

#4 No extra charge for can sodas vs fountain drinks

#5 Reserved seating in the theatre for all shows

#6 Complimentary bottled water

#7 Reserved or ability to reserve pergola/cabanas on pool deck

#8 'Cushioned' pool lounges

#9 Escorts on and off ship avoiding long lines

#10 First to use tenders off the ship at ports that tender

#11 Dedicated restaurant that is so good one need not book Specialty Restaurants

#12 Service that does not involve 2 hours to complete a meal

#13 An attentive butler not hard to find when needed

#14 Cabins ready upon embarkation/ key cards in hand at checkin

#15 Dedicated restaurant OPEN port days

#16 Dedicated buffet to only suite guests

#17 Dedicated pool and sun deck only for suite guests with ample lounges

# 18 All the advantages of a mega ship with the exclusivity of a gated community

#19 walk-in shower not low profile tub/shower combo

#20 No non-suite paying Pinnacle/Zenith/Diamond passengers taking up prime real estate in the Yacht Club

#21 Elevator over-ride key cards for suite guests

#22 Pristine out island with NO bugs crawling all over cabanas

#23 short distance between cabin and restaurant decks

#24 At least a 100 sq ft balcony accommodating a cushioned lounge chair

 

PS  sometimes one needs some modification to their 'reserved' "silly" pergola, but that would call for a tip which is anathema to some people expecting "all inclusive".

Edited September 17, 2023 by morpheusofthesea
photos

[morpheusofthesea]

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Since nobody has to wait for anything in the YC, and everyone has butlers, we see no real difference among the few suite options.

Perhaps you might read @Hutcha current post #10 under MSC forum. All butlers are not alike. 

The top suites get the best butlers.

[morpheusofthesea]

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

We would not even use those things since they are too remote from other folks (we enjoy meeting and socializing with other passengers).

Here is another area where we differ. Since this pandemic era we prefer remote from "other folks". A  plus for Explora with the Emporium dining. We never avail ourselves of any buffet, land or sea, because of the unsanitary habits of people. The Emporium appears to be the best at sea of any cruise line. We are afraid that our future holds only a romantic table for two at least 6 feet away from the nearest table. 

Edited September 17, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[morpheusofthesea]

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Consider that in the YC, everyone dines in the same restaurant, gets the same cuisine, has the same chefs, etc.  Since nobody has to wait for anything in the YC,

Same cuisine yes. But we do not dine. Waiting 2 hours for our meal is not on our list. We have been able to preorder our lunches and dinners and they arrive within minutes of being seated.Another plus of a top suite in the Yacht Club?

[morpheusofthesea]

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

The only downside of the YC is the cuisine, which is generally not up to the standard we expect on luxury lines.

Food is an idiosyncrasy peculiar to each individual. Happily we find we enjoy the food in the MSC Yacht Clubs. (Perhaps I should add food to my list?) We have never acquired a taste for caviar, nor sheep eye balls for that matter.