We have sailed on a number of RC ships and were looking forward to this one. Just a short break to the Pacific Islands. Bars - definite lack of staff in this area (all bars) always had to wait for drinks, (never had this problem on other ships) first ship we have had to ask for a stirrer and slice of orange in a Campari and soda it’s a basic drink (staff just not trained)! Main dining room well don’t recommend that at all, in fact we spoke to someone about the lack of attention and the food just well............ Windjammer again disappointed the same dish was served for the first three days! Usually there are such great choices. Specialty dining - Giovanni’s was very nice attention to detail good. Izumi’s the best excellent food and service. Chops Grille sad, it was great on other ships but this visit definitely disappointed. Shows were pretty good, ice show excellent, general entertainment hmmmm... We felt there was a ‘lack of food venues’ for snacks and coffee etc., other RC ships definitely had more choice/venues. It even seemed to be a battle to get a cup of tea at times and sometimes just didn’t bother because the queue was just too long. Again just not enough staff!!!! On one occasion I was making a cup of tea and noticed pink lipstick on the mug while pouring hot water into it, staff standing next to me, I said “ooh this mug is dirty” he turned and walked away!! Not the reaction I expected. Overall the staff moral seemed low and staff numbers seemed low as in a great shortage of them. After listening to the Captain at a ‘function’ thinking there maybe lies the answer! Would not sail on Explorer of the Seas again and would not recommend it. Next cruise will make us Diamond and really thinking do we want to keep going ? Have had so many fantastic cruises just hoping they are not ‘losing the plot’. Read Less

Chose this deal when on Radiance last December as big irresitible hook of $350usd OBC offered. We were assigned Inside cabin deck 8 aft, a burst water pipe put paid to that, so after a haggle with Guest Services we ended up in a Junior Suite at rear of deck 6 for the remaining 5 nights, brilliant. Staff were great, dining room waiters Geraldine & Prudencio & Maitre D fussing to make sure all was good. Breakfast & occasional lunch in MDR Sapphires was excellent. Windjammer was crowded, better to avoid at peak hours. Captain Mal & officers mixed on several occasions with guests, very visible & omniprescent. Crown & Anchor evening was good, Captain & C & A lady doing the talking. WE took the 79USD package & used it at Izumis 3x, great tucker. Production shows were hot hot hot, loved every one. Fast Forward, Invitation to Dance & Las Vegas show. The supporting acts were very good over all, Monique Martinez & Coedian Paul Bracks excellent. The solo guitarman Jovencio was very good, Piano lady spoilt by too trebly amplification, C Wind band very good playing 70-80s music. Ports of call Lifou, Mystery Island & Isle of Pines were great, that torquoise colored water is unforgettable, Noumea however is forgettable. Enrichment was by someone from Minerals Council i think, too early for me. Embarkation was easy at 130pm, disembarking was a cattle call. Tenders to the islands was great, 4 tenders docking at the island piers making a quick journey. The trip was made so enjoyable by the Junior Suite, first upgrade ever after about 16 cruises. Next time on RCI we will be Diamond so that will mean no queing at all, look forward to it. Read Less

I chose those cruise because I have had a good experience with Royal Caribbean before and expected the same. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. The best bar, Dizzys on deck 14 with the best view, was unavailable every single day, closed for Diamond only! This is clearly unfair. Even when it was open, there were long periods it was unattended. Staff apologised as they kicked people out at 4:30 but really, just not good enough. When it reopened at 8:30 the diamond folks remained so hard to find a seat, and the entertainment up there was atrocious! Awful DJ, pandering only to the elderly. The movies were screened twice a day on deck, but at weird times like at lunch or dinner when people would clearly be out dining. No BBQ or pizza or snack on deck, I assumed you simply weren’t allowed to eat there, it was certainly strongly discouraged! there was a blatant lack of seating or shade for people on the pool decks. If you wanted to spend time there, you had to plant early and one of you always be there! Little to no effort was made to provide us with decent music or entertainment on deck except at sail away, and that was brief and not very good, then it would abruptly end after about 45 minutes. Theme nights were a joke as they were carried out in the promenade so so one could move or see! Waste of time. Cocktails were mixes and watered, often warm. We often had to teach them cocktails and many refused. Cocktail list at the R Bar has literally five cocktails listed and that’s it! As Dizzys was never available the other bars were packed out every day so again a huge lack of seating was a big problem the entire cruise! The sapphire dining room was slow, we gave up as we were refused cocktails and our request for wine and beer took over 30 minutes. Bigger noisier tables got first service. I ordered an eggs Benedict well done with bacon, was told twice the reason my order was taking so long was because I wanted it well done. Came out after 35 minutes runny with grey undercooked bacon. Got up and left, waiter didn’t bother asking why, as it was obvious! The windjammer was very good though and the head cook fantastic. Great theme nights! There was never enough pizza in the promenade cafe however, not ever. They ran out all the time. As it’s the only place to get a snack you’d think they’d be better prepared. Chefs table was fabulous, as was specialty dining; Giovanni’s was outstanding. Explorer is continuing on to Southhampton and then not returning to Australia after refurb so it very much felt like little effort was made, by the cruise director or the staff. The ice show and theatre shows were good, and worth seeing, it was the huge lack of entertainment elsewhere that was a problem and so it got very monotonous doing the same things only, like trivia. Disappointing and boring cruise. Read Less

We have just returned from a 14 day South Pacific cruise on Explorer of the Seas. May I say I was very concerned going in since she was launched in 2000 and is 19 years old. For us humans 19 years is nothing but having thousands of people engage with her a lady can show age! The itinerary drew us to Explorer since we were all the way over on the other side of the world and came off Ovation of the seas in New Zealand ( more on that later) so why not extend the trip. We booked the Owners Suite and said let’s see what happens. Bottom line, WE LOVED HER! Yes there was a bit of wear but not what we expected. She looked like a beautiful girl for what I call “old school” nostalgic. The touches of cruise ships from the past were fantastic. The crew outstanding, there was not a time that the crew stepped up and made our experience outstanding. Being Diamond the Diamond lounge was the best lounge on and ship we have been on. Since there were 462 Diamond or Diamond Plus people the lounge poured out ito Dizzy’s which was fantastic, did not go over well with the other people because Dizzy’s was closed from 4:30-8:30 every night. Andy the ar tender than you for your service and Micheal your service was fantastic! The specialty restaurant staff was outstanding! Thank you to all! Chefs table outstanding! Our Jamaican chef you were the best and I still say you have a Chefs table highlighting your culture would be a win! I know Explorer goes int dry dock next year so she will only get better. Take this from one who travels a lot, if you are considering Explorer book her, she will not disappoint you! Read Less

All staff members were lovely the ports that we stopped at were amazing although we missed Noumea because of a tropical cyclone. The one thing i wasnt overly impressed about was the lack of entertainment, they only really had trivia, bingo, dance classes and the evening shows. Dont get me wrong the shows were awesome and the trivia was fun because we did it with friends and my partner did attend the dance classes but couldnt always participate because of the lack of space but other than that there wasnt much to do. Some days the first thing we went to on the compas was at 3 or 4pm so a little more entertainment catered to younger people would be appreciated, especially if there is bad weather like we had and they closed the outside decks so we couldnt use the rockclimbing wall, flowrider, pools or ice skating rink which sucked. Read Less

Excellent Cruise, Very nice ship with plenty to do on board. Tropical Cyclone Oma was in the vicinity so the order of ports was changed. Only one port missed in the end (Noumea) which was due to high winds at the port. Captain and staff did really well to accommodate the changes in itinerary and to keep the ship safe. Food on board was a very good standard, There was a special on the ultimate drinks package (Buy one/get on at half price which dropped the cost down to $US53 pp. With cocktails between 10 and 14 dollars and wine up to $13 by the glass, with coffees, juices, soft drink and bottled water included this proved to be good value. Canadian singer songwriter Jon MacAuley was a very popular entertainer in the pub on most nights. High level of interaction with the various groups on board. Wide selection of music and requests We thoroughly enjoyed this cruise and will start looking for our next one with RCL Read Less

We are Diamond+. 45 cruises in 3 years. Why do ships make rules, but don't enforce them, e.g. dining rooms - men wearing shorts t-shirts and thongs, not good enough! Junior cruisers without adult supervision up to 1am? Yikes, disaster. No ticketing for tenders and ice shows - you have to be kidding, a recipe for disaster. Children playing games on the dance floor, whilst people trying to dance. Dangerous! If a family is 'put off' for unsociable behaviour, RCI should announce it, no names etc, but let people know there are consequences for bad behaviour. Children seated at front of theatre and playing up, and going onto the stage during live performances.?? Dining room food, very good, service excellent. The staff onboard work very hard, extremely hard. Some customers should pull their head in. The Ice show is great, seen it many times. The theatre/production shows have been running for too long, they are ok for first timers, but new routines songs headliners should be brought on. I can even guess the comedians next jokes... Events e.g. trivia karaoke band art auctions game shows, should start and finish as per the daily compass, with a 15 minute break to allow people to move in/out comfortably. We want RCI to be successful, the above is intended to help them be better. Read Less

Booked this cruise because I wanted to see the South Pacific but was somewhat disappointed. Stops in Fiji were not very good. Vanuatu was much nicer especially if you like to snorkel. Lifou, New Caledonia was also very good for snorkeling. We had to skip Noumea, New Caledonia due to high winds. I was told it is common for some ports of call to be canceled on South Pacific cruises. Passengers were mostly Australians and many we met had taken this cruise in the past. Dinners in the main dining room was overall not as good as other cruises we have been on but the classic items were available every night. Breakfast and lunch in the Windjammer was also not as good as other cruises. Entertainment was poor so we skipped the nightly shows. We did not take any ship excursions as they were overpriced and I don't care for all the waiting and lines one must deal with when on a ship excursion. Dinner and cabin service was very good, better than what we experienced on other cruises. This cruise is good if you wish to spend much time snorkeling or laying on the beach but I'm no longer interested in either so I would not take this cruise again. First port of call was Newcastle where we did a lot of walking. We decided to tour Newcastle on our own. We were not allowed to walk from the ship but there was a free shuttle bus which dropped us off at Queens Wharf in front of the Six Degrees restaurant. We wanted to see Fort Scratchley and the Christ Church Cathedral and at the advise of a tourist guide at the shuttle stop, we walked to Fort Scratchley than to the Cathedral. It is much easier to walk to the Cathedral from Fort Scratchley direction since the road from Queens Wharf to the Cathedral is very steep. On the way from the Fort to the Cathedral we passed the salt water pool and Newcastle Beach which was having a surf meet. Newcastle Beach looked much nicer than Nobbys or Horshoe beach. After the Cathedral we waked down the very steep hill where there is a long row of stores across from the Wharf. Our next stop was supposed to be Noumea, New Caledonia but our itinerary was revised due to cyclone Oma. After 3 sail days we reached Lautoka, Fiji. Cost $9 USD for round trip shuttle ride which dropped us off in front of Jacks clothing store. We would have walked from the ship to town but it was very hot and humid that day. Lautoka is not a very nice town and I would not go there again. Next stop was Suva, Fiji. There were tours offered on the pier and we decided to take a 4 hour group tour to a village and waterfalls which cost 95 Australian dollars for 2 persons. The van held about 18 persons and was air conditioned and comfortable. There was a warrior dance show at the village. The waterfall was down a steep, slippery, muddy trail and there was only 45 minutes total time available for those whom wanted to swim in the falls pool. Our tour guide was great but because of several people in the group and the lack of time management, our tour arrived at the pier 1.5 hours later than it should have. Next stop was Port Vila, Vanuatu. We decided to take a private taxi tour and paid 150 Australian dollars for 3 hour tour to The Reef Vanuatu Zoological and Blue Lagoon. At the Reef Zoological you can see baby and older turtles, fruit bats, parrots and other animals. There is a 17 Australian dollar per person entry fee but I feel it was worth it. Next stop was the Blue Lagoon where you can spend your time swimming. There is an entry fee of 4 Australian dollars per person. Was very crowded due to all the other cruise ship passengers. We were next driven to Port Villa to shop than back to the ship. Next stop was Mystery Island which is only good for snorkeling. Didn't stay on shore long. Next stop was Lifou, New Caledonia. We walked up to Notre Dame church which provided a great view than walked to Church of St Francis Xavier than back to the ship. Last stop was supposed to be Noumea, New Caledonia but the wind was too strong so our ship headed back to Sydney. Read Less

Quick summer getaway with my brother. Second time on board Explorer and first visit to Tasmania. 'Spacious ocean view balcony' cabin was more than enough room for us two smallish blokes - a shame more space could not be allocated for the bathroom! Evening shows in Palace Theater were varied and good value. Best show is the 'Spirits of the Seasons' Ice Spectacular which I've seen five times now! Former Olympians in spectacular costumes doing stunts on ice on a slightly rocking cruise ship - need I say more! Great variety of free dining at Windjammer buffet and Sapphire My time Dining, with snacks including pizza at Cafe Promenade (our regular lunch stop). No need for us to pay extra for specialty dining! No need for us to buy a drinks package either, as we stuck to the free purified water, tea/coffee and orange juice. Very clean, albeit wearing ship, with utmost attention to hygiene with hand sanitizers everywhere. Excellent service, as always, from our cabin steward, dining staff, etc. Still uncomfortable with a couple of Royal Carribean's sexist daytime activities by the pool, 'The World's Sexiest Man Competition' and 'International Men's Belly Flop Competition'. Awaiting Royal Carribean's response regarding why they exclude women!? As Sydneysiders, we didn't bother getting off at Newcastle or Wollongong (no offense to fellow Aussies from those parts). We were only interested in Hobart, which was a beautiful landscape port with houses built into the rolling hills, especially when viewing from top deck whilst sailing away late afternoon! Hobart was almost like being in a different country in a good way. We didn't bother with any of the Royal Carribean shore excursions which appear overpriced. Instead we did an excellent, two hour, tip-based morning walking tour via Hobart Free Walking Tours. Afterwards we did the two hour round trip on the Mt Wellington Explorer Bus (Red Decker Company) for some truly sublime, picturesque views of Hobart and surrounds from the top of Mt Wellington. Brace for the zero degrees Celsius wind chill however - in summer! Read Less

Chose this cruise for location and activities on board. All expectations were met and cannot fault the staff or food. Will be sailing with Royal Caribbean again. Highly recommend the drinks package. Was a great opportunity to try new drinks without the fear of a huge bill. Was made to feel, Nothing was to much trouble, from all staff, regardless of the hour. Range of things to do though out the days and nights. Plenty of places to just relax. Specialty restaurants well worth the cost. Bar staff remembered our names and drinks and always with a smile. All waiters could not be more friendly and helpfull and again, always with a smile. Beds super comfortable and the room cleaned regularly. Several towl animals were left in our cabin to our delight over the 9 day cruise. We have already booked another cruise with Royal Caribbean and we can’t wait. Read Less