As first time cruisers we were not sure what to expect, we were very pleasantly surprised with the 10 day cruise on Explorer of the Seas from Bayonne NJ to New England and Canada.
Not all of my comments are criticisms but just that, comments and observations.
The embarkation process went smoothly enough, meeting Alex who was at the embarkation point promoting Portofino Restaurant was a bonus. We had pre-booked one night but took the opportunity to have dinner there the first night onboard. Excellent it was too. We revisited Portofino 3 of the 9 nights of sailing.
The cabin was well positioned and had all of the requirements of a cruising patron. The bathrooms are VERY small and the showers even smaller!! The final night comedian made quite a good part of the show about the size of the showers. Our Stateroom Attendant Michael Ashmeade was excellent and helpful at all times. Although we didn't use our balcony much as the weather was cooler than anticipated, it was nice to have access to a balcony whilst in port.