Explorer of the Seas Dining

4.5 / 5.0
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Editor Rating
4.0
Very Good
Dining
Aleney de Winter
Contributor

Explorer of the Seas dining options include a somewhat bland buffet, the renowned Chops Grille steakhouse, Japanese and Italian restaurants, a solid main dining room with a varied international menu, and a Johnny Rockets. There is no Starbucks on Explorer of the Seas.

While you can spend the entire cruise eating yourself silly in the complimentary dining areas, book into one or all of the specialty restaurants during your cruise for quality food and service that is worth every cent of the premium.

Explorer of the Seas Free Dining

Royal Caribbean doesn't pretend to be a gourmet-dining cruise line, but one can eat very well without forking out a cent. There is a good selection of healthy and vegetarian options across all the complimentary establishments and the service, as per the rest of this ship, is friendly, lively, and generous. Included in the cruise fare are the following Explorer of the Seas restaurants:

Sapphire Dining Room (Decks 3, 4 & 5): The three-level formal Sapphire Dining Room on Explorer of the Seas is one of the most stunning in moderately priced lines: a magnificent space linked by a grand staircase, dramatic fluted gold-leaf columns, golden velvet curtains and a ceiling dome with gold bursts, stars and fibre optics.

The a la carte cuisine is generally well prepared, if not particularly innovative. The Explorer of the Seas menu includes healthy fare, vegetarian dishes, options for food intolerances and a standard in-case-nothing-else-appeals selection of entrees (a choice of pasta with marinara sauce, salmon, chicken breast and Black Angus top sirloin). Service by the international staff is attentive and friendly.

Breakfast and lunch are open seating, though you shouldn't take that to mean that you can always snare a quiet little table for two. The ship's best-kept secret may be that lunch in the Explorer of the Seas’ main dining room is one of the better meals onboard. A salad bar is staffed by chefs who create incredible salads to order with provisions (vegetables, meats and cheeses) that are fresher and more varied than in the Windjammer buffet, and the heaping plate of veggies can easily stand alone as a full meal.

Explorer offers Royal Caribbean's flexible My Time Dining program at dinnertime. Passengers can choose between assigned early or late dining with pre-determined tablemates, or opt for flexible dining, in which you pick a preferred mealtime, but can change your reservations on a daily basis. (Note: Those opting for My Time Dining will need to pre-pay gratuities.)

The main dining room opens for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Cafe Promenade (Deck 5): The 24-hour Cafe Promenade on Explorer of the Seas’ Royal Promenade features light fare at all times (pastries in the morning and sandwiches at night) as well as serve yourself tea and coffee facilities.

The Windjammer Marketplace (Deck 11): Explorer of the Seas' Windjammer buffet restaurant features mediocre, steam-table cuisine. Kudos must be given, however, to the egg station at breakfast (where you can request a variety of prepared-to-order dishes) and the carving station at lunch. A new gluten-free corner is another thoughtful touch for those with dietary limitations. The Windjammer Marketplace is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is a good option for those nights when flexibility is required.

Room service: There is a complimentary Continental breakfast menu, with items like toast, pastries, cereal, fruit, coffee and juice.

Explorer of the Seas Specialty Restaurants and Other Fee Dining Options

Explorer of the Seas food is overall good, but a la carte and prix fixe options are generally better than free restaurants. The ship has been fitted with three specialty dining restaurants, along with the already popular Johnny Rockets, giving cruising gastronomes an excellent selection of cooked-to-order cuisine.

Chops Grille (Deck 11); prix fixe: Royal Caribbean's signature steakhouse features A-grade premium cuts cooked to order, plus fresh seafood including lobster, fish and jumbo shrimp. Standout menu items include the carpaccio of rare charred beef with Parmesan, shaved asparagus and a truffle mustard dressing; pan-roasted jumbo scallops; incredible dry-aged steaks cooked how you like it; and decadent grilled Maine lobster. Service and cuisine are excellent, if a little slow, so be prepared for a long dinner. Reservations are recommended though the first night of any cruise tends to be slow, so walk-ins are accepted. Explorer of the Seas’ Chops Grille opens for dinner only.

Giovanni's Table (Deck 4); prix fixe: Feast family-style on classic Italian fare. The Tuscan-style trattoria offers rustic dishes with contemporary flair. Antipasti platters and enormous servings of pasta make it ideal for sharing, but stand-alone appetizers and mains are also excellent. Be sure to save a little room for the dessert trolley, stacked with classic Italian cannoli, tiramisu and more. Giovanni's is open for lunch and dinner.

Chef’s Table (Deck 11); prix fixe: Located adjacent to Windjammer, Chef’s Table is the cherry on top of Explorer of the Seas’ dining. With just a handful of seats available per night and a formal dress code, the experience blends gourmet cuisine (think: filet mignon with truffle potato puree and bordelaise sauce; salted caramel gelato, and lobster salad) with wines from around the globe.

Johnny Rockets (Deck 12); prix fixe: At this 1950s-style dining venue enjoy impromptu wait staff song-and-dance performances with your burgers and onion rings. Explorer of the Seas’ Johnny Rockets opens from before lunchtime until around midnight; there's a cover charge to eat Johnny Rockets food. (No matter how much you order, the fee is still the same, and iced tea, milkshakes and draft beer are a la carte.) If you don't like to wait in line, aim to arrive just after it opens, or after the lunchtime rush.

Izumi (Deck 14); a la carte: This is a welcome option for fans of traditional Japanese. In addition to sushi, sashimi and ramen, Izumi on Explorer of the Seas also does hot-rock cooking (where you cook your meat and fish on a hot stone at the table) for something interactive and fun. Izumi is open for lunch and dinner, a la carte menu prices apply.

Room Service; prix fixe: All regular room service items (sandwiches, salads, desserts) incur a fee per order (not per item). The general room service menu features dishes like chicken fettucine alfredo, grilled salmon, chicken wings or a personal pizza.

There's also a Ben & Jerry's ice cream (also at a cost), which operate from before lunchtime to the wee small hours of the morning.

Restaurants

  • Café Promenade - pastries*
  • Chops Grille - Steakhouse*
  • Connoisseur Club - Spirits*
  • Crown & Kettle Pub - Gastropub*
  • Dizzy's - Martini Bar*
  • Giovanni's Table - italian*
  • Ice Cream Parlor - Ice Cream*
  • Izumi - Asian*
  • Johnny Rockets - Fast Food*
  • Pool Bar - Pool Bar*
  • R Bar - Atrium Bar*
  • Sapphire Dining Room - American
  • Schooner Bar - Nautical bar*
  • Sky Bar - Pool Bar*
  • Solarium Bar - Pool Bar*
  • The Tavern - Sports Bar*
  • Viking Crown Lounge - Iconic Bar
  • Windjammer - Casual
  • * May require additional fees

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