Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
Explorer of the Seas Cruise Review
Eastern Caribbean

Kelly Madgyesy

My fiancé (boyfriend at the time) and I cruised along with 2 other couples. This was my 2nd cruise (although my first with RCCL) and my fiancé’s first cruise. Although it rained almost every day, we still had a blast!

Our Room:
We booked 3 balcony rooms next to each other. The room size was very impressive and very roomy. There was a hairdryer in the room, so you don’t need to waste space in your suitcases by bringing one. Our cabin Steward was extremely nice and friendly. He was always so cheerful. My fiancé and I loved coming back to our rooms each night to see which towel animal he made for us, or what kind of design he made with the pillows.

Food/Dining:
All of us ate breakfast and lunch each day in the Windjammer Café. The food was OK. Food was not always hot. For dinner on the first night, we ate in the Windjammer Café, and we all decided that eating there for breakfast and lunch was enough. The rest of the nights we ate in the Main Dining room and Johnny Rockets. The Main Dining was absolutely beautiful. We went to both Formal Nights. Our Head Waitress was so nice. Most nights, we were her only table, so she would visit with us while we waited for our food and that was always enjoyable. The food was superb!! As were the desserts! One night, they served Lobster and Shrimp, and my fiancé finished his rather quickly and joked that he could eat another one. Next thing you know, the waitress brought out another plate of the lobster and shrimp for him. He finished that plate and was asked if he wanted another, so a 3rd plate was brought out!! We ate in Johnny Rockets two nights. There was a very small cover charge ($3-$4) and you do have to pay for drinks. But all of the food was free. We enjoyed coming here because the staff was always so funny. They have things like burgers, grilled cheese, hot dogs and chicken along with fries and onion rings. You can have as much of it as you want!

Entertainment:
Every night except for one, we went to the shows in the Theatre. There were comedians who were very enjoyable and the RCCL dancers and singers. Don’t miss the Ice Show, which you do need tickets for, but are free. There is limited seating. This show is shown more than once throughout the week. Also, one of the nights, they cover up the ice rink for a game show called the Quest, which is something you should not miss. Volunteers from the audience participate in a game where they are instructed to find certain items with the help of the audience. One time they had to find a partner to do the Can-Can Dance with, so I went out on the floor with one of the players doing the Can-Can dance! One of my favorite shows of the cruise was the Love and Marriage Game Show. It is just like the Newlyweds Game. Again, everybody was laughing hysterically during this game. But towards the end of the show, all of a sudden, my fiancé (then boyfriend) got up and walked towards the stage. The cruise director (who was in on this and knew exactly what was going on-because he and one of our friends we were with planned the whole thing ahead of time) handed him the microphone and he called me up on stage. He then got down on one knee and proposed to me!! Everyone was cheering and the contestants in the game show were congratulating us. The cruise director gave us a bottle of champagne. It was an amazing moment. To top that all off, the show was video taped that night so we received a free DVD of the Proposal. Throughout the whole week we were recognized as the couple who got engaged on stage!!

Miscellaneous/Tips:
I definitely recommend the Rock Climbing Wall. That was a lot of fun. I also recommend swimming in the Adults Only pool to avoid a lot of screaming and splashing children. We found a sports bar in the beginning of the cruise and spend a lot of nights playing fuse-ball there. Also, we normally had the same bartender each night and we all thought he was the best bartender around!! He was always making us laugh and remembered every single one of our names each night! He is not one you have to tip at the end of the cruise, but we put a tip in an envelope anyway, and gave it to him. Also I recommend waiting until the last night to purchase any photos. Also, be sure to pack some things for cooler weather. I had an assumption that the weather was going to be in the 90’s and that the sun would be shining the whole time. But at night, when it is windy, or especially if it rains, you will need warmer clothes then shorts and a tank top.

Ports of Call:
Puerto Rico:
It was raining when we arrived. My fiancé and I went on the Old San Juan Walking Tour. Since it was raining, our tour guide arranged for a bus to take us part of the way and he had ponchos for us. At the end of the tour we were able to walk around the shops for some shopping.

St. Maarten:
This is the best island for shopping! Definitely the cheapest! When you depart the ship there are water taxis you can take over to the shopping/beach area for a very small charge. However, the beach is quite small, you have to pay for the lounge chairs, and there are people trying to get you to buy items that they are selling.

St. Thomas:
All of us booked a snorkeling/speed boat excursion. This was the only day it was sunny and beautiful the whole day. So of course we all got sunburned! Make sure to wear plenty of sun block, even if you don’t burn easily. I didn’t enjoy the “speed boat” part of the excursion. There was way too much salt water in my face. But I did enjoy the snorkeling.

Nassau:
None of us were overly impressed with this island. The shopping was much more costly than even the US. The people on the island tried too hard to get you to buy their items.

Overall, even with all of the rain, all of us had the time of our lives. Everything from the service, the entertainment and especially the staff were above average. My fiancé and I booked another RCCL cruise as soon as soon as we got home, for our honeymoon. This time we will be cruising on the Mariner of the Seas and traveling to the Western Caribbean and we cannot wait to experience another RCCL cruise!!