Had done quite a lot of pre-planning for this cruise as the wife and I had volunteered to head up a Cruise Critic group on the Explorer, under the name "We are Family II - Exploring the Caribbean"! The original group "The Family Jewels" began on a CC group cruise in April 2006 on the Jewel of the Seas... Our logo then, "Cruising with My Family Jewels"!!!

The 'group' started off with a bang, but as time went on, several of our original members had to cancel, altho' we did end up with a total of 7 cabins. The ship sold so well, at RCI pricing, that shortly after the group pricing was released, RCI 'pulled' all our JS's, so we lost some interest there as well. Turned into a well-tuned machine, and we all enjoyed most every facet of our cruise..

Six of us met two days prior to our cruise in Newark, and had 'group' rates at the Newark Airport Sheraton, a splendid choice, with 24/7 airport shuttle, as well as a lovely Bar/Grill and a nice dining venue. Employees and staff at the Sheraton are great as well.. Read more