We have cruised at least 6 times on the Explorer. It is a beautiful ship with wonderful service and great food. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The complimentary wine selections were very good. The five restaurants offer a great variety of dinning for diner. The main dining room, Compass Rose, is very attractive and offers a great variety of dinning options. One half of the menu remains the same with many selections and the other half changes daily. On our first Explorer cruise in August 2016, the ship had only been launched a few weeks and there were a few wrinkles with service in Compass Rose. However, after a few nights these problems seemed to have been resolved. Setti Mari is the Italian restaurant on deck 11 aft. Weather permitting, it is a great place to dine outside. the other three restaurants, Prime Seven, Chartreuse, and Pacific Rim (our favorite) require reservations but there are no additional charges. A night in each may be reserved several weeks prior to embarkation. After boarding, additional reservations may be made. The public areas are very nice. We never felt crowded. The pool was spacious with ample deck chairs and lounges. The pool grill is a nice place for lunch. A lunch buffet is also served in La Veranda (deck 11 aft) and a full service lunch is available in Compass Rose and one of the specialty restaurants.