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Life on the ocean wave.............. |
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Reviewed By: pycroft, Christchurch on 8th Feb 2010
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| Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean Cruises |
Times cruised before: 1-2 |
| Cruise Ship: Explorer of the Seas |
Sailed:
January,
2010 |
| Destination: Caribbean |
Age: 46-55 |
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My friend and I have just come back from our last minute booking with Royal Caribbean - Explorer of the Seas. Cruise Co & RC had all our tickets, paperwork and advice sheets sorted and sent to us very quickly indeed.
We flew to New York with Continental; a very pleasant flight, comfortable and we unexpectedly had extra leg room!
We had spent considerable time (as others must do), to fill in the Visa Waiver forms. However on entering Newark Airport, they were not even looked at. In fact I can honestly say we had a very unfriendly, rude and aggressive welcome from young men who had obviously been Charm School rejects. If that first impression of the USA were all to be considered, I would have turned around and come straight back to the UK again!
We had a very comfortable night at the Renaissance Hotel, our overnight stop before embarking. The beds were large and after being awake for 24 hours, a joy to sink into.
Royal Caribbean certainly are a very professional organisation. The initial registration was a bit like being processed but done very efficiently and quickly, given the number of people on the ship (some 3000 or so).
Our cabin was at the front of the ship - I wouldn't recommend that to anyone with a tendency to seasickness, but as we had booked last minute, beggars can't be choosers. We had an inside cabin, again not first choice but all that was left. The cabin was clean, well decorated and small with clever use of mirrors to make it appear larger. The ensuite was very small but adequate (heaven help the larger passengers). The bed linen and towels were of very good quality.
The ship is enormous with fantastic facilities. The quality of everything used is very high, wood, brass, marble etc and everything is always pristine.
There are so many activities to do on board that it is hard to decide sometimes - everything from ice skating to acting, dancing, bridge, quizzes and karaoke. RC excel at their entertainment and the theatre is large, comfortable and watching the shows could fool you into thinking you were in a top London or New York theatre, very professional indeed.
Ok, before anyone thinks I am being paid by RC to sing their praises; some criticisms:
Drinks are horrendously expensive and everything has a 15% gratuity added. Whilst the food is good, varied and plentiful, the puddings are often lacklustre, bland and if you were blindfolded, could you guess what it was?
Seminars or talks on forthcoming destinations were perceived to be nothing more than hype and aimed at selling the goods sold there, mostly jewellery and other luxury goods. This was very offputting and the amount of paper wasted and flyers wasted is huge.
Our last port of call - Puerto Rico - was only for 5 hours, not nearly long enough for a visit to a lovely island.
We did several excursions, some booked with RC and others booked independently. Whilst fairly expensive, generally, there is not much difference between the prices. We particularly enjoyed the Stingray trip - interesting and probably a one off experience with these lovely creatures.
We also enjoyed Dominica (our second visit to this lush island). Our guide was friendly and so knowledgeable and proud of his island, he made the trip so much more enjoyable with his enthusiasm. Of course after a couple of Rum punches, my friend and I added to the entertainment on the way back to ship in the mini bus!
Overall, we had a great holiday and enjoyed our cruise with RC. Would we go again with RC? Yes most certainly. However, we both agreed that we won't go from New York with the long sail again, the sea was very rough indeed and feeling ill is not a great start to a holiday. So next time, we will start from the warmer, calmer seas.
Elly & Julie - AKA - the O Riley Sisters
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| Quality of Food |  |
| Breakfast in the Windjammer, dinner in Magelen dining room. We ate most things but not a single french fry! | | Entertainment |  |
| The song/dance/comedian shows were particularly good. The quizzes were mostly US themed and felt were not aimed at non US passengers | | Shore Excursions |  |
| Snorkelling with stingrays - excellent
Didn't like the shopping promotions, boring and hard sell is off putting | | Staff | |
| They were all good in different ways so cannot answer. | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities | |
| Too many to choose from at times. We had fun doing the improvisation/drama and the dancing lessions
| | Cabins | |
| Disappointed that our cabin was right at the bow - not a good position for seasickness sufferers. Cabin not over large but adequate, clean and comfortable | | Overall Rating | |
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