Royal Caribbean International
Explorer of the Seas Cruise Review
Western Caribbean

Gene Gorter
Age: 40
Occupation: Computer Tech
Number of Cruises: 10
Sailing Date: February 11th, 2007

This was our tenth cruise in seven years, needless to say we are hooked. Never had a bad cruise only a few bad experiences. Overall we have been very lucky.

We've sailed the Southern Caribbean 5 times from San Juan and the Western Caribbean 3 times from Miami. Also sailed twice from Boston (once to Bermuda and once to Canada).

On this trip we sailed from Miami on Royal Caribbean for the second time on the Explorer of the Seas and stopped in Belize, Costa Maya, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. My hope is that I can pass along some tips and advise that may help folks who may be looking to go an a similar cruise.

Before the cruise:

Do your homework. The internet and travel agent have lots of deals that vary widely in price. Avoiding holidays and school vacations can save you some money if you can do it. If you book your cruise and you later see the price has dropped you may be entitled to a refund. Other ways to save money are last minute deals that some web sites offer and "repositioning cruises" where the cruise line has to seasonally move a ship from one port to another (for example a ship may repositioned from the Caribbean to New York in the Spring time so if you don't mind not arriving and departing from the same port this may be for you).

Before we go on a cruise we take out what we call "Blizzard Insurance". Flying out of Boston in the winter can be risky - flights can easily get delayed or canceled due to weather (I worked for the FAA in Boston for 7 years - trust me on this one). If you are planning to fly the same day you set sail you run a real risk of literally missing the boat. Our "blizzard Insurance" policy is basically nothing more then leaving home at least a day (and usually 2 or 3 days) before we set sail. This not only ensures we don't miss the boat but it gives us a few days of pre-vacation to explore the departure port (Miami, San Juan etc).

This was our first cruise where we had a balcony and I think we are now spoiled for future cruises. It is going to be hard to go back to an inside cabin after this. On past cruises the cabin was simply a place to change, sleep and shower. A balcony changes that dynamic radically. At night we would leave the sliding glass door open and enjoy the sea air and sound of the ocean. In the mornings we would order room service and eat on the balcony where in the past we would run right up to the dining room. And even though we spent plenty of time on the public decks hanging out there is something nice about sitting and reading out on your private deck. Don't get me wrong - I've had 9 wonderful cruises without a balcony and we only took one this time because we found a good deal.

Ports:

Miami
We stayed 3 nights in South Beach at the Clay hotel. The Clay is very reasonably priced and in a fantastic location but one warning - due to its location among restaurants and clubs that stay open late and are quite loud you may not like it here if you go to bed before 3 AM. We will probably stay elsewhere next time - but only for the noise. Otherwise I would recommend the Clay.

There is lots to do in South Beach. Ocean Drive is full of lots of clubs, restaurants and shops in fantastic old art deco buildings. And if you really like art deco you have to walk the few blocks to the Wolfsonion museum on Washington.

The beach at South Beach is great and very busy. You can also drive or take a city bus north and try Haulover Beach which is just north of Bal Harbor.

When your sick of eating and people watching on Ocean Drive you can check out the Lincoln Rd open air mall. Lots of indoor and outdoor dining, shops, galleries etc. And if you are willing to walk a few blocks north there is a stunning (and quite large) memorial to the Holocaust.

If you venture to downtown Miami check out Bayside Market place. It's basically a mall but it's by the water and has restaurants, entertainment and you can take various water cruises from there for around $20 and up. On our boat ride we saw dolphins and Gloria Estephan's house.

One thing I must add - our first night in Miami we had dinner in BED (that's the name of the restaurant - Beverage Entertainment and Dining). You literally eat your dinner on a bed. Very cool, trendy and especially comfy. The foods pretty good too. BED is on Washington and there isn't a sign outside telling you where it is (why the secrecy? who knows. The web site does have lots of photos of celebrities hanging out there).

Belize
We booked an excursion through Royal Caribbean for the Wildlife adventure tour. It was a bit pricy but seeing as it was our first trip to Belize we decided to splurge. We started our adventure on a river boat ride up the Belize river where we saw crocs, monkeys, iguanas, bats and all sorts of plants and birds. We then stopped for lunch where a bus was waiting to take us on a tour that stopped at a very cool zoo. The trip was a bit pricy but we had a great time.

Costa Maya
There is a barrier reef by Costa Maya that they say is second only to the great barrier reef in Australia. We took a snorkeling excursion here that I have to say was probably the best snorkeling trip I have yet to take for no reason other then the coral is so close and so spectacular. One recommendation - the waters were a bit choppy and myself and a few other were a bit nauseous after. It might not be a bad idea to take a Bonine before you leave. In the port of Costa Maya they have a beach and pool right by the pier open to the public. Very nice facility and the pool is open to everyone and has a swim up bar.

Cozumel
This was our third trip to Cozumel. The first time we went to the ruins at Tulum which is a fantastic experience but is a bit of a long journey. The second time we took a cab to a nearby beach. This trip we took an island tour from a local driver we met on the pier. The tour was $25 and took us across the island, stopped at the local Mayan ruins (not nearly as impressive as Tulum but well worth seeing). The tour then continues around the south coast stopping at a few points of interest along the way. Al in all the trip was just under 4 hours and the guide was very knowledgeable (which was especially nice when we toured the ruins).

Grand Cayman
This was our second trip to Grand Cayman. The first was a few years ago and before the death of Steve Irwin so we took the amazing excursion where you swim with the stingrays. This trip we opted to take a $4 shuttle ride to the 7 mile beach. A wonderful beach day. We rented chairs ($5 each). The water and sand were great and you can get food and cocktails right there on the beach. Well worth it for a low cost fun beach day.

Excursions
The plus to taking a ship excursion is that they guarantee that the ship wont leave without you. The downside is they cost more. In most ports there are lines of people waiting to take you on private tours and excursions that are much cheaper then you would pay through the cruise line. Sometimes you can even haggle the price down even more. And there are generally cabs or shuttles waiting to take you to local beaches or shopping. In some ports (like Aruba) there is a decent public bus system.

Ship
What hasn't been said about this ship? Amazing! A comic on the ship summed it up by saying "I have traveled by many means of transportation in my life - but this is the first time I have traveled by Mall". Highlights of the ship include the quiet "adults only" pool deck and the miniature golf course. The rock wall, rollerblading and ice rink aren't half bad either. Rumor has it that the next generation of the Royal Caribbean ships will include a monorail and through an arrangement with Disney a version of "Pirates of the Caribbean" so realistic that the pirates actually kill some of the passengers. I can' wait!

Seriously - even though there are thousands of folks on the ship you rarely feel crowded.

Food
Food and service were great but the highlight for me was LOBSTER NIGHT! Here's a tip - don't eat lunch that day and be prepared to order 3 or more lobster tails! I felt like Homer Simpson "mmmmmmm lobster! and keep 'em coming"

On previous cruises we only ordered room service for breakfast on days where we had to be off the ship early for an excursion. A balcony makes eating in your room that much nicer - so we did it several times this trip. But not for dinner - we had to much fun with our table mates and the food and service were too good to miss that meal in the dining room.

Speaking of table mates - we’ve generally been quite lucky with the folks we’ve been paired off with but it’s a roll of the dice. So be warned. I have a feeling that the cruise lines use some sort of compatibility software to determine who to seat with who. Or maybe people are just friendlier at sea. Whatever the case you may want to request a private table if you have any doubts.

One food tip - on beach days I sneak fruit and pastries off the ship in my backpack to have a snack on the beach. You’re not supposed to do it so if you get caught don’t tell them you heard it from me.

Drinks
The bar prices are generally reasonable and there are always daily specials. You also are not pressured to order drinks in any of the clubs and bars and you can bring your drinks from one to another.

If you go to any of the ship parties that offer free drinks one tip - stock up! The freebies wont last forever so grab a few before you go - you can take them anywhere including the other bars and clubs.

Shopping
There are actually some pretty good deals on the ship. The duty free liquor is actually quite a bargain. Other then that I generally don’t do that much shopping on vacation but do remember that in allot of ports you can haggle quite a bit.

One tip - if you ever stop in Jamaica stock up on Blue Mountain coffee (we bought over $100 worth). It’s some of the best coffee in the world and isn’t easy to some by in the states. A friend just ordered some online for $50/lb.

Casino
We played blackjack every night after dinner and actually left the ship up by about $80 (our last cruise we were up $150 - our next cruise we’ll probably lose $300). They have low limit tables which is nice but unfortunately unlike casinos on land the drinks aren’t free.

Tipping
One tip about tipping. Unless the service really stinks don’t be a cheapskate. These folks work really hard and that is how they make most of their money. Although I still don’t understand why we are expected to tip the head waiter - he’s management, he should be salaried and paid by the cruise line.

Luggage
I learned an important lesson this trip - a lot of baggage looks the same. Case in point. We go off the ship (along with 3,000 other people) only to find a woman walking off with our large rolling suitcase ("it looked just like mine" she said). Had we shown up a minute later she would have been long gone.. I am tying neon ribbons and painting unique designs on all our checked baggage for the next trip.

Also - when you get on the ship be sure and keep things you may need on the first day (sunscreen, swim suits medications etc) in your carry on luggage. Your checked luggage could take hours to get to your room.

And on the topic of luggage I have a rather unusual method I use that my wife makes fun of me for. But I have since learned that there are others out there that do what I do. I pack my good clothes for dinner and evening use but I pack my old crummy T shirts and socks for running around during the day and to the beach. Then every night I throw them away. It makes space in my luggage, creates less laundry to bring back and helps me clean my closet of all those clothes that are taking up too much space. As long as you don't mind people seeing you in your old Depeche Mode t-shirt at the beach go for it! Also - on the day I fly I wear old work pants and shirts that are too warn to wear to work - after checking in to the hotel, into the trash they go and on go my nice vacation duds.

Overall
Cruising is nice in that you unpack in your room once and every day your in a new place.

Some folks don’t like being at sea or find the smaller inside rooms a little claustrophobic. If you’re not sure then I suggest taking a short (3 or 4 day) cruise for your first one.

There's also a bit more of a sense of community on a ship then at a hotel which I happen to like.

There is generally lots to do onboard when your not in port and I cant ever remember getting bored on a cruise.

 

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