Explorer of the Seas Cruises

Life aboard Explorer of the Seas
In October 2018 Explorer of the Seas departs the Alaskan coast for Sydney. Until March she will sail out of Sydney to Pacific islands – New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji – and to the Great Barrier Reef, over 7 to 14 nights. Sampler cruises of 3 nights will give you an office break, and you can evaluate your taste for cruising. In April 2019 Explorer of the Seas repositions to Southampton, UK. Consider this 46-night adventure via Singapore, India, Dubai, Suez Canal, and Barcelona. In late 2019 she sails from Southampton to Norway, Spain and the Canary Islands. From November 2019 she will be based in Miami, offering 5- and 9-night cruises to the Southern and Western Caribbean. For many the ship will be the destination, giving an opportunity to relax in holiday-like surroundings. Explorer of the Seas entered service in 2001, completed a major refit in 2015. At 137,308 GT she carries 3228 passengers. Newest additions include a Flow-Rider surf simulator, and virtual balconies in some Interior cabins (80 inch vertical flat screens displaying live exterior landscapes).

Explorer of the Seas is a large floating island resort that berths at the larger ports. It has all the signature features of Royal Caribbean International – including huge Solarium, ice-skating rink, rock-climbing wall, huge Showlounge, Royal Promenade shopping mall, and street entertainers. The ship is family-friendly, with large facilities for children and teens. It caters for large conferences, Wi-Fi ship wide, good wheelchair access, and also couples wishing to tie the knot in the wedding chapel. Though large, the ship offers a good passenger space ratio. Décor throughout is warm and attractive and you’ll need good walking shoes to become familiar with the many public spaces. Some cabins have interior views overlooking the shops and cafés. Though carrying over 3000 guests, dining, entertainment and activity centres are spread throughout the ship and elevators are fast (out of school holiday season). You pay for many extras including gratuities (except sailing out of Australian ports), and need to plan where to eat and what to purchase, so order packages online before your cruise.

Accommodation
Staterooms come in four main categories and 22 grades, with variations based on guests’ needs: Suites/Deluxe, Balcony, Outside and Interior Staterooms. When selecting accommodation consider the view, the level of privacy, and location near to or far from activity areas. Some Interior cabins have a ‘virtual balcony’ wall display of the passing ocean views. All staterooms come with private bathroom, vanity area, hair dryer, interactive TV and phone. Many cabins are family-friendly with up to four additional bunk beds, and interconnecting rooms. Promenade staterooms overlook the interior Royal Promenade, and some accommodate up to six people. There are no single cabins, and many are wheelchair-accessible. In-cabin service and dining is available 24-hours.

Travel in style with a selection of six categories of Suites, which are especially good for large families needing more space, and may include complimentary concierge service. Suites come with priority check-in, most have multiple rooms and balconies, and depending on the suite you may have whirlpool tub, baby grand piano and an entertainment area, and accommodate up to 8 guests. The stateroom’s TV enables guests to request room service, to book show tickets, shore excursions, movies and specialty dining, and keep track of their onboard account. Smoking is only permitted on private ocean view balconies of balcony/suite staterooms.

Food and Dining
For the Main Dining Room, spread over three levels, select from three dining choices before cruising: fixed seating at the same table nightly, at either early or late sitting; open-seated My Time Dining (with pre-paid gratuities) at a flexible time; and early sitting My Family Time Dining that allows children aged 3 to 11 years to leave for their Adventure Ocean kids club. Menus feature healthy, vegetarian and kosher options. Special dietary needs can be catered for by giving advanced notice. Menus change daily throughout the cruise. Evening dress is casual or smart casual. Expect one to three formal evenings in the Main Dining Room during your cruise (though from some ports formal dress is actually just casual). There are seven complimentary eating options, including Windjammers Café, Izumi Sushi and Asian cuisine, Café Promenade for coffee, pastries/snacks, and room service.

Specialty dining (with a cover charge) can be booked for Chops Grille steakhouse and Giovanni’s Table. Dine casually at Johnny Rockets, and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is the place to go for ice-cream and frozen drinks. Take your family to dine 1950s style at Johnny Rockets. Café Latte-tudes serves specialty coffees and sweets. In all, the ship has 15 bars, clubs and lounges, including the Champagne Bar, Crown & Kettle Pub, and The Chamber nightclub. There are package deals for wine, juice, sodas and bottled water.

Entertainment
Signature features to entertain you include: Broadway-style productions in the Main Theatre; Studio B’s ice shows; comedy, game shows, onboard parties, and cooking demonstrations (and when the rink is not being used, skate for free); and gaming in the giant Casino Royale. Live music features around the pool, in the main dining room, and in many lounges, bars and specialty venues. There are always parties and parades to join. Alternatively, just stroll around the Royal Promenade and shop duty-free, or for a quiet time retire to the small Library/Card Room or Internet Café.

On-shore excursions and explorations can be pre-booked or arranged on board. Choose from a range of classes and seminars to bring out your creativity and expand your knowledge. The Vitality Spa and Fitness Center is fully equipped and runs a variety of beauty services and fitness classes. Activities include use of the outdoor sports deck, Flow-Rider surfing simulator, mini-golf course, golf simulators, in-line skating, ice-skating rink, six whirlpools, SCUBA diving program (in the Caribbean), and a full-sized sports court for basketball, paddleball and volleyball. The Solarium is exclusively for adults. Teens have their own lounge areas and disco, and the Adventure Ocean youth programmes cater for all ages. And every RCI ship has a rock-climbing wall.

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