Explorer of the Seas - Royal Caribbean International
Fast Facts
Vessel: Explorer of the Seas
Cruise line: Royal Caribbean International
Star rating: Not yet rated
Tonnage: 138,000 GRT
Total cabins: 1557
Balcony cabins: 757
Entered service: October 2000
Facilities: Dining room, buffet, pizzeria/ice-cream parlour, alternative restaurant, hamburger joint; casino, cinema, golf course, golf simulator, sports court, rock-climbing wall; fitness centre, day spa, solarium, ice-skating rink, theatre, wedding chapel, children's clubs (five age groups), teen disco.
Cruising alone on a big ship like Explorer of the Seas might seem like a daunting prospect bu there is so much to enjoy
When I booked a cruise on the gigantic Explorer of the Seas last year, I was a bit nervous. I wasn't worried that we'd be sucked into a maelstrom while cruising through the notorious Bermuda Triangle, nor concerned about making a fool of myself on the rock-climbing wall on the ship's funnel, perched a dizzy 60 metres above sea level.
I was, however, anxious that as a single traveller I may be lost in a sea of thousands of passengers and if I did happen to make a new friend, I might never track them down again.,/p>
The Explorer of the Seas is big and carries more people than you'll find in most Tasmanian towns. And as it was high summer in North America and our destination was beautiful Bermuda, the ship was naturally full.
During a chat with the ship's hotel director, Darren Budden, I learnt I was sharing my five-day cruise with 3600 others, all of whom - bar 200 - were American, and I was the sole Aussie.
Normally I prefer the friendliness of a small ship, but as I also have a fascination for grand public rooms, particularly lounges and showrooms, I knew there would be plenty to keep me occupied.
Explorer of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean International's Voyager class ships, each weighing 138,000 GRT and with a total passenger capacity of 3840.
The five Voyager siblings are ranked equal third in the world's big ship stakes, eclipsed only by Queen Mary 2 and the RCI big twins, Freedom and Liberty of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean Cruises do not do boutique; all but one of its 21 ships are over 70,000 tons and are crammed with facilities that rival a mini theme park.
Captain Sverre Ryan told me the cruise-mad Americans love big ships and clamour for new whiz-bang features. The formula obviously works as each vessel sails out fully occupied every week.
My first surprise was the efficiency of the embarkation process. I was processed, photographed, issued with my cruise-cabin-cum-credit card and on board in a matter of 15 minutes. It does pay to get to the terminal early, which is actually in Bayonne, New Jersey and not Manhattan. It's 5km from the Big Apple and not the prettiest of places, but it does have great views of the Statue of Liberty and is said to have better security than downtown New York.
I headed straight to the Windjammer Cafe for a buffet lunch and a spot of people watching, noticing that US passengers like to travel in clans and some even wear matching T-shirts!
There was vast array of good food on offer, from US favourites to Italian and international dishes (albeit with the spices played down a bit), plenty of free beverages and roving waiters to take orders for soft drinks and alcohol. With a full stomach I set about exploring the ship, choosing to take the stairs between decks (there are 14 passenger decks) to walk off lunch and check out the interesting artwork - such as guitars signed by rock legends Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones in glass cases - that adorned the staircase walls.
First stop was the Royal Promenade on Deck 5, which is the ship's heart. It's as long as four football fields and houses casual eateries including a sidewalk cafe with little tables and chairs, a pizzeria (where I was a frequent diner), an ice-cream parlour, an English-themed pub, a sports bar and shops selling both designer clothes and everyday resort gear.
The Royal Promenade is so big it held a street parade with marching girls and band on the first night, and most of us squeezed in for the captain's cocktail party on the second night. It was a tight fit but it was still possible to snaffle a free drink or two and hear what the captain was saying as he addressed us from an aerial bridge a few metres above.
The only real queues and people-jams I encountered were when the 1000-odd patrons were leaving the Palace Theatre after a big production show and when lining up to have photos taken on formal night.
The rest of the time I was amazed at the easy flow of the ship, which is the result of having plenty of public rooms, many dining options and a vast array of activities.
There are no less than 17 bars and lounges where you can order a drink, and folks found a favourite niche and tended to hang out there.
The Latin passengers loved the salsa band in the Aquarium Bar (complete with big fish tanks), sports tragics gravitated to the Weekend Warrior bar with its many TVs, beer fanciers were in the Crown & Kettle, while I just loved the Viking Crown Lounge located at the very top of the ship with fantastic ocean views through floor-to-ceiling windows. Having a thousand people to dinner would normally be a challenge; however, the staff ran the elegant three-tiered dining room (which holds 1870 people per sitting) with a friendly efficiency. I found the dining room meals average to good rather than great, preferring the food in the Windjammer Cafe.
Others loved it and I noticed a young guy on my table, order - and eat - three main meals one night, along with the other courses!
The ship serves around 75,000 meals in five days and most of my dishes, across all food outlets, were good. I decided to have my continental breakfast in my cabin and that was a clever move. It turned up exactly on time each morning and it was a treat to have croissants and coffee on my balcony.
Without doubt the ship's standout features are its facilities - the beautiful dining room and theatre, the well-appointed lounges, the huge gym and spa, the two large pools, great kids' clubs and disco, and an amazing ice-skating rink - where I watched an exciting ice-dance show featuring top artists.
The two Broadway-style shows were slick, and the late-night comedian (a well-known Bostonian called Don Gavin) hilarious.
My fellow 3559 passengers were onboard for a good time and lapped up the fun such as the men's sexy legs competition and the love and marriage show. I, for one, was a bit disappointed that from such a huge crowd there were only six men brave enough to enter the belly flop contest.
Despite my initial nervousness I did meet several fun people, such is the nature of life at sea.
Written by Caroline Gladstone - Issue 30 Summer 07/08