REVIEW - Canada/New England - Explorer of the Seas

[CruiseNut7]

REVIEW

Explorer of the Seas - Canada/New England

8/31 - 9/09/07

 

 

THE BASICS

 

This was our 21st cruise - 4th on Royal Caribbean. We are both in our 50's and like everyone else here, just love to cruise! This sailing was planned as a vacation to just get away from it all - what better itinerary than to Canada and New England - places we had never traveled to before. With 9 nights and 6 ports of call, we set out to just enjoy ourselves, relax and pre-arrange a few excursions.

 

PRE-CRUISE

 

We flew into Newark one day pre-cruise and stayed at the Country Inn & Suites in Newark/Elizabeth. The hotel has a shuttle every 25 minutes to/from the airport so that was a big plus for us. The accommodations were as expected - similar to a Holiday Inn - fine for a one night stay. They did have a nice breakfast in the morning that included waffles and pancakes along with bagels, etc. We had dinner at Ruby Tuesday's which was next door. I used Priceline to reserve this hotel at $60, so it was definitely worth the rate!

 

EMBARKATION

 

We were up early the next morning (it's like Christmas morning to me), so we decided to ask the hotel to call a car for us early and headed to the port at 10:00 AM. It was about a 15-20 minute ride to Cape Liberty. The cost was $42.

 

Since we received e-docs, I created luggage tags so made a craft project out of it - it would be nice if the cruise lines would at least mail the tags to you for heaven's sake! I hate crafts!

 

We arrived at the baggage drop-off and proceeded to check-in. It was early so it only took about 10 minutes to complete the paperwork, have our photo taken and be ushered into a holding area to wait for our shuttle number to be called. We waited about 45 minutes or so - it's a very efficient system so I had no complaints. Once your number is called/posted, it was only a few minutes bus ride to the ship.

 

DEPARTURE

 

We arrived at the ship before noon, took a brief tour and headed for the Windjammer Cafe since we knew our cabin would not be ready until 1:00 PM. After a refreshing pina colada, it was time to settle into our cabin on Deck 9. The muster drill was at 4:30 and then sailaway! I'd heard so much about sailing under the Verrazano Bridge that we walked as far forward and as high was we could get just to see it clear the bridge - it really does only have a matter of feet to cruise under the structure, but afterwards the Captain received an ovation. We could see the Statue of Liberty in the distance - what a beautiful sight!

 

THE CABIN

 

We booked a Junior Suite (JS) 9614 - on the hump or I'm told it's supposed to be called the bubble - either way, it's a fabulous location on the ship! The configuration of the cabin was set up well. The walk-in closet was just that - there was plenty of room for hanging your clothes with plenty of hangers to use and lots of shelving. We only had to use several of the drawers in the cabin. The bathroom was roomy with a very deep bathtub (tough for short legs) and great water pressure - hard to find these days! An estimate of the balcony was about 6' x 12'.

 

PORTS OF CALL

 

New London, Connecticut

Since we were the largest ship to enter this port, the Explorer of the Seas received a warm welcome and fanfare from the people in the area as well as the press and dignitaries. Folks were gathered all along the dock area as helicopters flew overhead. It was amazing how the Captain maneuvered the ship for docking. We decided to stay on board and enjoy exploring the ship.

 

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Our roll call (thanks, Gary SWPD) put together a private tour with Jonathan at YourCab.com at $48 each. Heather was the guide in our group - she was marvelous and extremely knowledgeable. We visited the beautiful Public Gardens, an interesting tour of the Titanic Cemetery, on to Peggy's Cove and then lunch. I wish they had cut down on other things and spent more time at Peggy's Cove Lighthouse as we were only allotted 1/2 hour. You can mail postcards from there with a special postmark and if you have your passport with you, they will stamp it - very cool! It was initially set as a 4.5 hour tour, but we were out for almost 6 hours.

 

Saint John, NB, Canada

We were greeted with a fire boat water cannon salute when we arrived. It's the first I'd ever seen and was so impressed. We decided that this would be another of our "sea days" and stay on board.

 

Bar Harbor, Maine

We had to go through customs prior to leaving the ship. The officials were late in arriving and there were long lines, but they moved quickly.

This was our only tender port, but the ship had the most efficient tenders. The trip was only about 10 minutes and it's a lovely view anyway! We chose to spend a few hours walking around this quaint town and have lunch at Stewman's - their lobster roll was excellent. Had to get back to the ship as I was scheduled for several spa treatments! In our opinion, this port was the most picturesque.

 

Portland, Maine

We booked the ship's 6 hour Best of Portland and Kennebunkport tour. In hindsight, the 4 hour would have been sufficient, but we wanted the extra hour in Kennebunkport. I think they could have spent less time driving around Portland and more time driving along the gorgeous Maine coast. Along the way we stopped at Portland Head Lighthouse - this is where our tour bus broke down - actually, they couldn't get the door to close so we had to wait for another bus to pick us up. In Kennebunkport we strolled around Dock Square, shopped, had a bite to eat, including some clam chowda' - then back on the bus to return to the ship -about a 45 minute drive. We passed former President Bush's compound at Walker's Point. We were told if we saw a lot of black SUVs near the entrance, then the Bush family was in residence - there were indeed numerous black vehicles! It was a real treat to see George Sr. and Barbara Bush's summer "cottage" - just beautiful!

 

If you are George Sr. and Barbara Bush fans or a cookbook collector, there is a little outdoor restaurant in Dock Square near the bridge called The Clam Shack. In their store we bought one of their chef's cookbooks which was autographed by the former President, Barbara Bush and the chef.

 

Boston, Massachusetts

We took a shuttle to Quincy Square for $12 each round trip - purchased them in the terminal. At first we tried to walk the Freedom Trail, but my scouting skills were rusty and we ended up seeing only a few of the sights. We did end up back at the location where they recreated Cheers - "where everyone knows your name." We spent a bit of time there then headed back to the ship. We'll have to return to Boston for a proper visit - although they now know my name at Cheers!

 

DINING

 

Our table assignment was a 6-top right next to the bus station. On the first night we received neither good service nor food so opted to eat the remainder of our dinners at the Island Grill. For those not familiar with it, it's located in the back of the ship on Deck 11 behind the Windjammer. We found the food there to be very good and the variety was excellent. After selecting your food buffet style, there is table service so you can order your drinks, etc. This is where they have different stations for the main course, desserts, made-to-order crepes and sushi. For those who want to get to know your waiter and enjoy traditional dining, then it's probably not for you. For us, it was just right and they served from 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM. We prefer the personal choice dining that Princess offers.

 

We ordered room service for breakfast every morning. We did eat at Portofino's and it was very good - your must try the tiramisu (Ibi, thanks for the recommendation) - delectable - just the presentation is worth the price of admission at $20 per person!

 

THE SPA

 

We both had spa treatments and thoroughly enjoyed them. We waited for the specials - $89 for an hour massage (or mix 'n match treatments). I had a massage, facial, foot and ankle treatment and scalp massage - umm, I'd like to experience that everyday! Both of us received our treatments from a girl from the Philippines, Sharon - she actually got ON the table with you to apply more pressure. I did get a glass of champagne after my visit in the relaxation room! Note: not one time was I even asked about buying products - that's a first!

 

THE CASINO

 

Played some roulette and blackjack. The house has my money - 'nuf said!

 

DISEMBARKATION

 

Everyone had to wait in The Palace Theatre or Studio B - we were the second group called and it went smoothly. That is until we couldn't find one of our pieces of luggage. After almost an hour, it was in lost and found as the tag had fallen off - almost thought we had a crisis on our hands! Took a shuttle to the airport and arrived by 10:30 AM - $14 each. It gave me enough time to catch an earlier flight.

 

COMMENTS

 

PROs

Don't miss the ice show - it's spectacular (no other shows for us)

Room service variety including hot breakfast (and other items I wrote in)

Friendly staff everywhere on the ship

Great towel animals-thanks to our awesome cabin stewardess, Bernadette

Viking Crown Lounge/Dizzy's - what a view

Interactive TV for room service and your account

 

CONs

No lotions in bathroom - there is a dispenser for shampoo in the shower

No bathrobes

Muster drill on deck rather than indoors

Would like to see mailboxes outside your cabin - like Princess has - there were several invitations/notes that were mixed on the dresser (note to self: keep a neater dresser)! I do like the mailboxes though.

 

IN CONCLUSION

 

This was our first Voyager Class cruise and I look forward to our next one. Our favorite cruise line is still Princess, but Royal Caribbean offers a slightly different product. The Canada/New England itinerary is fabulous and I highly recommend it to anyone - at this time of the year there are few children on board. It was particularly special for us as we'd never been to this part of the country.

 

Hopefully, I haven't bored you to tears or caused you to nod off! Let me know if I can answer any questions for you!

 

 

CEOs (Coolest Explorers of the Seas) - A special thanks to all the wonderful folks on our roll call - they were a huge source of information and I sincerely appreciated it.

[aqhacruiser]

Great detailed review! Thanks for posting it! :)

[KelJ]

Diane, thanks for the great review! We are taking this exact cruise in July 2008.

In fact, we have the exact opposite cabin -- 9314, which is the same cabin only on the starboard side. I was surprised to read that you had a walk-in closet, as I thought I had read that 9614 and 9314 didn't have the walk-in closets because they are connecting cabins.

How was your weather?

I'm glad you had a good time! We look forward to this itinerary.:)

[grandsix]

Nice review. We were on this cruise with you and had a great time. Already booked a return cruise on the Explorer.

[CruisinNana]

Great review! Thank you!

 

I have one question.....When you were docked at the different ports, did your cabin face the sea or the dock?

[PC2]

CruiseNut7: Thanks so much for posting your review on our 10/12 Roll Call. We are so looking forward to this cruise. I hope we find the food a bit better, though. I have 3 questions, if you get a chance to answer. Can you explain the customs procedure when you get to Bar Harbor. Someone said that there were 2 places to go, one for US citizens and one for non US and US tender holders. Was it before breakfast that you had to line up? Also, where and when could you go to get tickets for the Ice Show and did they have afternoon shows also?

 

Thank you again and glad you had a great time.

 

Sandy

[reapfm]

Great review. Thanks for posting it.:)

[PC2]

CruiseNut7: I meant, as far as Customs in Bar Harbor, US citizens having excursions and non US citizens in one place and US citizens in another.

 

Sandy

[CruisinJohn]

Very nice review. Thanks so much for taking the time to post it and we enjoyed reading every word! :) We'll be on the 10-12-07 sailing. Your information was most helpful and answered lots of our questions. Cruise Critic is such a great place with such great people! :)

 

Cheers!

[bubbadog]

hey that was a great review really enjoyed it,we are taking this exact cruise on oct 12th on the explorer, so we only have about 4 weeks to go,i am really excited to go, me and my wife have had a tough few years and really deserve it,especially my wife, thanks again for the nice review:)));)

[Robert Strobel]

Great review! Thank you!

 

I have one question.....When you were docked at the different ports, did your cabin face the sea or the dock?

 

 

all of the ports were Starboard facing except for St. John which should have been to Port side , but they had problems getting in. Bar Harbor is anchored right off the main square ( beautiful views ) and kind of swings with the tide....:)

[perfik]

CruiseNut7: Thanks so much for posting your review on our 10/12 Roll Call. We are so looking forward to this cruise. I hope we find the food a bit better, though. I have 3 questions, if you get a chance to answer. Can you explain the customs procedure when you get to Bar Harbor. Someone said that there were 2 places to go, one for US citizens and one for non US and US tender holders. Was it before breakfast that you had to line up? Also, where and when could you go to get tickets for the Ice Show and did they have afternoon shows also?

 

Thank you again and glad you had a great time.

 

Sandy

 

Hi Sandy

the Bar Harbour Tender issue was a real pain for most, some people ended up waiting for more than 3 hours to get off, also, even thsoe who did not want to get off the ship had to be there early. I think they had planned to have the tenders start at 8 but the customs guys were late. This was a MAJOR deal to some who needed to get off to tender as early as possible.

The delay made us decide to stay on the ship that day since the tender boats were also apparently too small... That was really the only glitch for the holday though. As for the breakdown of the lines, there was one line for US citizens, and one for all others PLUS US citizens leaving on excursions. The US only line went quickly so that eventually they funnelled all the US people off to the US only area regardless of if they were going off or not.

Ice show tickets are available outside Ben and Gerrys Ice Cream and are available in the afternoon. I do not recall the time of the ice shows though, sorry.

Hopefully the ridiculous tender problems will not happen again.

[PC2]

Hi Perfic: That's a lot for the information. Hopefully, they will work out the customs problem by our cruise. What, exactly do they check for?

 

Sandy

[CruiseNut7]

Thank you for all your kind comments about my review. :)

 

KelJ (Kelly) - you've got a great cabin location. It's steps away from the elevator/stairs and the walk-in closest was the size of one in my guest bedroom closet! Because it was a connecting cabin, it didn't compromise the closet size as far as I could determine. The weather was very warm - most ports were in the high 80s - it was 90 degrees in Boston! I never needed more than a windbreaker. I'd have preferred cooler weather, but you can't have everything! :rolleyes:

 

CruisinNana - which side of the ship docked has already been answered. We were on the port side and had a great view entering New London.

 

PC2 (Sandy) - the customs question has been addressed also. We didn't find it to be a big deal as others have noted, but then we weren't in a hurry to get off the ship. It only took about 20-30 minutes of waiting and getting our SeaPass card marked and passport checked. We waited until about 11:00 AM to board a tender, walked right on and had a pleasant ride. That still gave us plenty of time in town and to have a leisurely lunch.

 

bubbadog - you and your wife enjoy your well-deserved vacation. :)

 

To all others sailing soon, have a wonderful time - this is a great itinerary and I'd take it again in a heartbeat! ;)

[01821]

hey that was a great review really enjoyed it,we are taking this exact cruise on oct 12th on the explorer, so we only have about 4 weeks to go,i am really excited to go, me and my wife have had a tough few years and really deserve it,especially my wife, thanks again for the nice review:)));)

 

Bubba dog, I hope you and your familt have a wonderful time. :)

[PC2]

Thanks, Diane.

 

Sandy

[The Big Booper]

Hi Perfic: That's a lot for the information. Hopefully, they will work out the customs problem by our cruise. What, exactly do they check for?

 

Sandy

 

This was an immigration issue, not customs. You go thru immigration everytime you come back to the US from a foreign port, you go thru customs only at the end of the trip when you declare your purchases and fill out the declaration form.

[PC2]

OK, thanks for the clarification, Big Bopper. I see that I also wrote, That's, instead of Thanks on my original post.

 

Sandy

[torpeedo]

Thanks for that review. We are leaving on the next NE cruise Friday so your information is valuable to us!

We are also staying at the Carlson Country Inn and Suites. What cab service did you use? Are they standard, $42??

[CruiseNut7]

Thanks for that review. We are leaving on the next NE cruise Friday so your information is valuable to us!

We are also staying at the Carlson Country Inn and Suites. What cab service did you use? Are they standard, $42??

 

When you check in, go ahead and reserve a taxi for the next morning. We were told that most guests were asking to be picked up at 11:00 AM.

 

To avoid that rush, I requested a TAXI for 10:30 AM, then we decided to leave a bit earlier. So, I called the front desk the next morning and asked for a taxi - they sent a private car, thus the $42 charge. Perhaps a standard Yellow Cab would have been less - I really don't know. Wish I could be more helpful - I was just happy to arrive at the port early! :)

 

Have a wonderful sailing - BON VOYAGE!