This is my second cruise with RCCL. My first cruise was on the Oasis. Booking the Explorer I knew I was going on a smaller, older ship but as a resident of Connecticut, embarking from Bayonne was so much more convenient than flying to Florida. Even still, I expected the quality of food and entertainment to be the same but it wasn't. The Dining Room food was mediocre. The waitstaff was incredible and tried their hardest to please us, but they have no control what comes out of the kitchen. The Windjammer food was good. We dined at Portofino twice and the food was superb there..worth the extra cost. The bar staff was friendly and I am amazed how they learn names so quickly. Many of the live shows were good, but not excellent. We were with a group of 14 and we had blast together.

Loved all the ports, wish we had more time in San Juan. Getting back to the ship by 1:30 PM made it difficult to book a fun excursion. Labadee was beautiful and I highly recommend the WaveJet tour. The zip-line is fun over the water but it's only 1 zip!!!! If you plan to zip-line, do it in Jamaica or Mexico, much better experience. Bermuda was beautiful but we felt rushed as the beach spots and Hamilton take too much time to get to and from, waiting for ferries and buses. St. Maarten is incredibly beautiful and we booked a boating excursion (not through RCCL) with Soualiga Destinations that took around the island snorkeling, sight -seeing and to beautiful beaches. Great excursion!

The spa treatments were good but pricey and I disliked the staff pushing the products so aggressively--I know it's their job but I had two facials done on separate days and was recommended completely different products each time. Read more