First of all let me say that embarkation was a breeze. Well, only because I broke my ankle and was wheeled on, right into my room with no delay. Royal Caribbean couldn't have been more accommodating and considerate in this situation. We have never had a balcony before and if you are not sure.........get the balcony. It was a new experience, which has spoiled us for any non-balcony rooms. The fresh air, the feel of more space, the sunset, sunrise. What can I say? We will not cruise without a balcony now.

As far as the ports go, we booked our own excursions over the internet and have been happy with the results. We did book the Atlantis tour from RCCL this time but I can say it was overpriced and we felt like it was a race, not a tour. If you are comfortable booking over the net you will find more interesting and better priced tours.

The Explorer was a complete delight. The promenade was interesting, and fun, the ice show on a ship was out of this world and overall we would say this was our favorite cruise. We have been on Celebrity Summit and RCCL Majesty and feel that this was our best yet. Read more