Explorer of the Seas Review

Tired old Explorer, ship and crew in need of TLC. Declining service quality

Review for the Baltic Sea Cruise on Explorer of the Seas
User Avatar
RogerBann
10+ Cruises • Age 30s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Aug 2019
Cabin: Ocean View
Traveled with children

Just returned from Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas Northern Europe and Russia cruise.

THIS IS A FULL REVIEW.

Explorer is 20 years old and smaller but otherwise identical layout to Freedom and Independence of the Seas, sharing the same (but smaller) Deck 5 central shopping mall idea, Schooners Bar, triple-floor Sapphire Dining Rooms, Windjammer buffet, ice rink, FlowRider and Dizzys/Sky Bar etc.

Cabin Review

Ocean View

Cabin 3N

3rd floor ocean view cabin. Perfectly ok, quite spacious, good value, excellent state room attendant.

Port Reviews

Oslo

Walked into the city. Clean but clinical. No one about except tourists. The Norwegians spend their summers at their country homes. Very sensible.

Copenhagen

Lovely city. Easily walkable. Take the canal trip to see most of the sights.

Tallinn

Nice old city. Easily walkable straight from the cruise port.

Helsinki

Walked the city. Visited the Church of the Rock.

Stockholm

Walked and used public transport. Visited Vasa museum and ABBA museum. Took a water taxi to and from the cruise ship. Why use any other form of transport?

Skagen

Walk the town direct from the cruise terminal. 10 minutes.

Best tip if you want to explore is to hire a car for the day. $35. The local Budget car rental office is a tiny franchise - it’s a gas station with about 4 cars to rent, 1/4 mile from the ship. The lady who sells your gas gives you the keys to the car. It took 2 minutes! The best and quickest car rental experience ever.

Southampton

Great embarkation. Fast and simple. We arrived after 2pm which was quieter.

6 Helpful Votes
previous reviewnext review

Find an Explorer of the Seas Cruise from $262

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.