Explorer of the Seas Review
Wonderful cruise! Didn’t want to come home!
Rating by category
Additional details
This was our second Royal Carribean cruise. We first sailed on the Ovation of the Seas so I was interested to see the differences between the two ships. We loved both. The Explorer was a great ship - although a little old, it has been well maintained and the crew are busy night and day with cleaning and maintenance to keep her shipshape.
We had the unfortunate luck of bad weather and two ports were canceled, however: 1. There was plenty to do onboard so never had the opportunity to get bored and 2. The captain was able to secure an unscheduled port in Vanuatu to make up for the cancellations which we all appreciated.
The service from the crew was excellent, they were only too happy to accommodate any requests and on some occasions went beyond the call of duty by anticipating our needs by providing us with extra meals, searching Windjammer buffet for favourite items and providing us with general information about the day to day occurrences on board.
Cabin Review
Superior Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony
Great sized cabin, did not feel cramped. Lots of storage space in cupboards and bathroom. Good sized private balcony. Easy access to Level 5 Promenade and Level 11 Windjammer amd pools.
Port Reviews
Noumea
Took Hop on Hop off bus to Anse Vata Beach and from there a water taxi to Duck Island for a couple of hours of snorkelling.
Lifou
This was my favourite port - we walked from the beach where the tenders dropped us to two places: 1. Jinek Bay for snorkelling 2. Cave with fresh water pool. Both excellent and lots of fun. Walk to and from cave is very steep and I paved through a little jungle so recommend sturdy walking shoes and reasonable level of fitness.
Port Vila
This was our unscheduled port so we weren’t quite sure what to do. Was also Easter Monday do not much was open. We took a ride to Hideaway Island where we were able to snorkel for a couple of hours and buy lunch.