Explorer of the Seas upgrades announced

Royal Caribbean added Explorer of the Seas to the list of ships that are receiving extensive upgrades as part of their ongoing revitalization program.  Explorer will receive $110 million in upgrades and become the first of Royal Caribbean's "amplified" ships to cruise from Rome.  Beginning on May 7, 2020, she will sail 7 and 9 night itineraries to the best of Italy and the Greek isles, from Santorini to Mykonos and Crete.  After that, she will transition to Miami for 5 and 9 night Eastern and Southern Caribbean sailings

Some of the highlights from the press release:

Fun by the pool:

• The Perfect Storm, the popular duo of waterslides, raise the stakes and friendly competition. Guests with the need for speed will race each other through three stories of twists and turns on Cyclone and Typhoon
• A reimagined poolscape brings a new, resort-style look and all-day island vibes, making for the ultimate place to unwind under the sun or stars with a wider variety of seating, from hammocks and daybeds to casitas and in-pool loungers. Adults looking for alone time can escape to the rejuvenated Solarium
• The Lime & Coconut is Royal Caribbean’s signature, poolside bar. The three-level slice of the Caribbean will serve up live music, vacation-mode cocktails and the best views of the action on board as well as the Mediterranean landscape from the rooftop deck

Fuel for your fun:

• Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen is the cruise line’s new take on its signature Italian restaurant. The reimagined trattoria will welcome guests to a casual setting and offer classics with a contemporary flair. From hand-tossed pizzas fresh out of the oven and made to order, to charcuterie delights, the elevated menu caps off this “Sunday supper” experience with a wide selection of wines and limoncellos from many of Italy’s well-known regions
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, the high-energy spot where guests can root for their home team as the game plays across 52 TVs. On offer will be an extensive menu of bar fare favorites with a twist and ice-cold brews, games of all kinds – arcade classics, trivia, tournaments and pool; and the Owner’s Box VIP area
• Johnny Rockets Express makes its way poolside with American favorites – even spiked shakes
• A standalone Starbucks comes aboard with its signature menu of drinks and pastries

For the young and young at heart:

• Glow-in-the-dark laser tag debuts in Studio B, the venue that doubles as an ice-skating rink for guests and jaw-dropping shows. The latest Royal Caribbean challenge, Clash for the Crystal City will bring two clans – the Yetis and Snowshifters – head to head in the ultimate faceoff to escape extinction
• The new Adventure Ocean will come to life following a major makeover. The award-winning program for younger guests and their families introduces an open, imaginative layout with whimsical and immersive activities. Kids 6 to 12 years old can choose their own adventure, while babies and 3- to 5-year-olds enjoy specially designed spaces for each age group
• An exclusive teens hangout will sport a whole new look and features, including the latest in movies, gaming and music, and the addition of a private outdoor deck

Explorer of the Seas is the fourth ship in the Voyager Class to be transformed as part of the cruise line’s Royal Amplified fleet modernization effort. An investment of more than $1 billion, across 10 ships in four years, the program touches every facet of the guest experience and introduces a wide range of thrilling adventures spanning one-of-a-kind attractions and experiential dining and nightlife.

Video of Norwegian Star hitting Explorer of the Seas in Bermuda

Back on September 14, a strong storm hit Bermuda where NCL's Norwegian Star and Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas were docked at King's Wharf.  The winds were strong enough to break Norwegian Star from her moorings and send her drifting into Explorer.

As is the norm today, it was caught on video by more than one person.

Check it out:

May 2011 Explorer of the Seas update

Well, if you remember we had booked a 9 night Bermuda/Caribbean cruise on Explorer of the Seas out of Bayonne, NJ on May 26, 2011.  Sadly, we've had to cancel our trip.  We decided to cancel for a couple of reasons.

The main reasons had to do with our teenage son.  He's at the age where he's too old for the kids program but too young to really enjoy anything else by himself so he has to tag along with us "old" folks and that's not very enjoyable for him.  We figured 9 days would be equivalent to torture for him.  Also, he's a junior in high school and we really should take this summer to look at some colleges.  So the decision was made to cancel.

Oh well, we'll be back on the water soon.

Next Up - Explorer of the Seas - May 2011

Well that didn't take long did it.  It's barely been a month since our trip on Liberty of the Seas and we've already booked our next cruise.  We'll be taking a 9 night  Bermuda and Caribbean cruise on Explorer of the Seas from Bayonne, NJ which is less than an hour drive from home.

Now, we had every intention of booking next year on Allure of the Seas but this was a better deal and no long 2 day road trip to Florida.  Sounds familiar doesn't it?  This year we had planned to go on Oasis of the Seas but found a much better deal on Liberty.  Some day we will get to go on one of the Oasis ships.

This will be our second 9 night cruise (first was 2004 on Voyager of the Seas) and our second trip on Explorer.  Our first on Explorer was in 2001 during which my beautiful wife and I were married onboard.  That was a great cruise.  We will also be staying in a Junior Suite for the second time on Explorer.  We're hoping to start maxing out our Crown & Anchor points (suites count for 2 credits) so we can get to 10 cruise credits and become Diamond members.  This will jump us from 6 points to 8.

This will also be the oldest ship we've been on in a long time.  Explorer of the Seas turns 10 years old next month but from all I've heard, she is still in great shape.  That's good news.

The itinerary is pretty unique as it leaves from NJ and stops first in Bermuda.  We haven't been to Bermuda since our 1998 trip on Celebrity's Horizon so that will be a nice change.  After that we stop in St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and San Juan.  Should be fun.

241 days and counting!

Explorer of the Seas involved in rescue at sea.

On February 16 Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas responded to a distress call on the way to the Caribbean from Port Liberty, NJ. The call was from a disabled sailboat which was taking on water in heavy seas. The crew dispatched a rescue boat and took the three men on board the sailboat back to the ship. Apparently they had left from Baltimore on their way to Key West when they ran into some bad weather.

Now, rescues by cruise ships at sea are nothing new but this one was a bit unique. Once on board, the men from the sailboat were examined by the ships doctor then given cabins, food and clothes. Not only that, but once the ship reached San Juan, Royal Caribbean paid for the men to fly to their intended destination, Key West. How about that. Pretty cool. Nice gesture on the part of Royal Caribbean.

Past Cruise Review:

Royal Caribbean Cruises "Explorer of the Seas" - 2001 Caribbean

Lisa and I had not really thought of going on another cruise after returning from our trip on "Voyager"in 2000. We really enjoyed that cruise and we were planning to take a break from cruises for a year to save some money. After we got engaged, we began to plan the wedding and we didn't want anything too big or expensive since we would have to pay for it ourselves. The more we thought about it, the more we were leaning toward having the wedding on a cruise. We finally decided on having the ceremony on "Explorer of the Seas". The plan was to have a small ceremony while the ship was still in Miami. We had the choice of having the ceremony in Miami or at St. Thomas which is a U.S. territory (ceremonies at sea are for renewal of vows as they are not considered legal marriages). Our decision to have the wedding in Miami before the ship left was based on prior experience with missed ports of call. We didn't want to pick St. Thomas and not get there because of weather or other unexpected problems. We also wanted some guests to be able to attend the ceremony if they were not also coming on the cruise.

Unlike previous years, we decided to drive to Miami this time. It was fun. I enjoyed the drive down to Miami which we spread out over three days with stops in North Carolina and Jacksonville, FL. We arrived in Miami the day before the cruise and went to our hotel which was in the Miami Beach area. After checking in I took a drive to make sure I knew how to get to the pier. It was only about a 15 minute drive from the hotel. The rest of our party was also to have arrived by that night. Only one person attending the ceremony was not able to also join us on the cruise. Everything went relatively smoothly except for some minor problems like my best man's luggage being lost on his flight into Ft. Lauderdale. Luckily the bag was found later that night. Good thing we had everyone get there the night before.

We were all able to board the ship early because we had the first ceremony scheduled for the day. Lisa, Zachary and I were all on board by about 10:00 A.M. (generally, boarding is not until around 12:00 P.M.) and our cabin was ready so we could change for the wedding. We were very pleased with both the ceremony and reception. Everything was well organized and very nicely done. The wedding , of course, was in the chapel. Flowers were provided as well as a photographer as part of the wedding package we ordered. The reception was in one of the lounges (Maharajas' Lounge) and was also very well done. The reception was a full two hours with an open bar and food. We opted for a DJ for the second hour of the reception which turned out to be a very good idea. The only minor issue we had was the fact that they gave us such a large room for the reception. There were only about 11 of us in the whole party and the room was big enough for a couple hundred people. A more intimate room would have been better. That didn't detract from the party at all and everyone had a great time at the reception. The reception was done by 2:30 and we headed back to the room to change and take our usual video tour of the ship.

The ship was just a fantastic as "Voyager". Our cabin, a mini suite, was also very nicely appointed. It had a large walk-in closet and a bathroom with a tub. The cabin also featured a very large balcony, a queen size bed and a couch that pulled out to a large bed for Zachary. My family's cabin was a deluxe family cabin which was situated at the very front of the ship. Although it did not have a balcony it did have large windows that faced forward with a great view out of the front of the ship. My best man and another friend of mine had an inside cabin which was rather small but nice. The limited space was put to good use and it seemed very comfortable. Those who have been on "Voyager" will not have a problem getting around on "Explorer" as the layout is mostly identical with some minor changes.

The itinerary was different than last year on "Voyager". Royal Caribbean had added a fourth stop on this seven day trip which we feel is too many. You simply do not have enough time at each port to really enjoy it. You always feel like you are rushed. I would rather have an extra day to explore and enjoy the ship. The first stop was in Nassau, Bahamas. I had been there on my first cruise 16 years ago and it was still not very interesting. Since we stopped there on the first day out which was a Sunday, most of the shopping was closed. Aside from shore excursions there is not much else to do there. I would recommend that Royal Caribbean skip that stop and make it a sea day. The second stop was St. Thomas which we have been to before. It is a very nice island with lots of shopping. I went on a mountain bike tour which was good but not recommended for those who are out of shape. The ship also stopped in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This was our first visit to Puerto Rico and we really enjoyed it. We would have liked to have had more time at this stop as there was lots to see. We have discussed a return trip to check it out further. Finally the ship also stopped in Labadee which is Royal Caribbean's private part of the island of Hispanola. Beach activities, rafts, jet skis and other water sports are available. Lunch is served on the island by ships crew. This is always a nice stop.

Our family and friends all had a great time on this cruise. There were some first time cruisers as well a some veterans among the party that joined us on the cruise. This was however, the first time any of them had been on a Royal Caribbean ship and they loved it. Their reactions were much the same as ours when we returned from our trip on "Voyager". I think we have just added some additional names to the list of people who consider Royal Caribbean the best cruise line they have ever been on. Most of my family had been on several cruises before this and they cannot stop raving about this one. They loved the ship and the entertainment most of all. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the food did not seem to be as good as it was last year on "Voyager", especially the breakfast and lunch buffets. This did not have an effect on our enjoyment of the cruise. In fact, my family was so pleased with the cruise that they requested a brochure for "Adventure of the Seas", the next ship in the "Voyager" class and planned a cruise for the following summer.