This was our 19th cruise and our shortest cruise. We usually do B2B, but I am happy we weren't on the ship any longer than 5 days.
We have been on the Explorer before but she is really showing the wear & tear of non-stop use. I just got the feeling that RCL is trying to suck as much out of the ship before they put her in for refurbishing. Too many stains on everything. Even saw torn upholstery. Areas by pool (which was only used by guests on 1/2 day), had accumulated dirt in corners where it needed a good sweeping...at the very least.
There also seemed to be less staff in dining room which does affect quality of service. There was a broken shade near our table which was hanging crooked every night. One evening, a photographer came in to do the table photo thing and she unsuccessfully pulled on the permanent curtains to try to block the sun, causing them to also be all cock-eyed. They stayed that way for the next 4 evenings which meant to us that no one was doing any kind of up-keep. All these details gave the dining room a disheveled, neglected look.