Took my mother on a 10 day Barrier Reef Cruise (her 1st cruise).Everything went well, a smooth embarkation, The ship looked great, interior décor well done in the public areas, except for we were welcomed with a strong stench of raw sewerage which lasted the whole cruise , The rooms are very small and have extremely small balconies, seems it was only the public areas that was refurbished,with Explorer being a new addition to the P&O fleet, thought she would have been refurbished throughout, the carpet in our room & upholstery on chair was very soiled, but the room was clean, The food in The Pantry was disgusting, most hot foods being cold when you receive it or by time you get back to table. Desserts were uneatable, and didn't even have ice-cream on offer. Food in other restaurants was ok, if you could get in, or willing to pay for meals in other restaurants. Service on board was good, entertainment was great, especially Grant Gallea, should have a bigger dance floor for those wanting to participate in dance classes, a lot left due to lack of space . Had a fantastic time, on our shore excursion days, except for the schamozzle that happened at Cairns (have done 8 cruises and have never experienced this before) ,Cigarette smoke was smelt right through ship especially deck 7,and even on smelt on balcony at times, not to good for those people that are sensitive to cigarette smoke. Despite these problems, overall both had a great time. Did book a 10 night South Pacific cruise on board the Explorer, at same time as this, for February with husband, wondering how that will go.