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Put thrilling adventures back on your radar onboard the wow-worthy Explorer of the Seas®. Discover endless ways to max out memories with fleet favorites like the FlowRider® surf simulator, the award-winning Adventure Ocean® Youth Program and the coolest ice skating rink at sea. Plus you'll find jaw-dropping views and once in a lifetime adventures on unique itineraries to the Greek Isles, Mediterranean and Caribbean islands. Sail on your most legendary journey with the cruise line voted Best Overall for 19 years running by Travel Weekly readers.
Year Built
2000Year Refurbished
2017Year Entered Present Fleet
2000Country of Registry
BahamasTonnage (GRT)
137,308PAX (basis 2)
3,286Max Pax (inc. Uppers)
4,290Passenger Decks
15Number of Crew
1,185Officers' Nationality
InternationalCruise/Hotel Staff Nationality
InternationalSuites
0Balcony
0Oceanview
230Oceanview No Balcony
0Oceanview With Balcony
0Balconies
652Interior
642Accessible
20Total Number of Accommodations
1000Royal Suite - 1 Bedroom
Owner's Suite - 1 Bedroom
Grand Suite Two Bedrooms
Grand Suite - 1 Bedroom
Junior Suite
Ocean View Panoramic Suite (No Balcony)
Suite Guarantee
Junior Suite
Sunset Junior Suite
Size approx: 1,260 sq. ft. Balcony: 170 sq. ft. Relish an extraordinary vacation in this luxurious suite. Up to 4 guests. One King bed in the bedroom. Living room with one double sofa bed.
Spacious Ocean View with Balcony
Spacious Ocean View with Balcony
Spacious Ocean View with Balcony
Spacious Ocean View with Balcony
Ocean View with Balcony
Ocean View with Balcony
Ocean View with Balcony
Connecting Ocean View with Balcony
Balcony Stateroom Guarantee
Spa Balcony Stateroom Guarantee
Quad Balcony Stateroom Guarantee
Sunset Ocean View with Balcony
Spacious Sunset Ocean View with Balcony
Ultra Spacious Ocean View Stateroom
Spacious Panoramic Ocean View Stateroom
Spacious Ocean View Stateroom
Spacious Ocean View Stateroom
Ocean View Stateroom
Ocean View Stateroom
Ocean View Stateroom
Ocean View Stateroom
Ocean View Stateroom Guarantee
Quad Ocean View Stateroom Guarantee
Promenade View Interior
Interior Stateroom with Virtual Balcony
Interior Stateroom with Virtual Balcony
Interior Stateroom
Interior Stateroom
Interior Stateroom
Connecting Promenade Interior Stateroom
Interior Stateroom Guarantee
Quad Interior Stateroom Guarantee
Interior Stateroom
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Deck 9
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Deck 6
Deck 6
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Deck 4
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Deck 2
4.5
Cruise reviews reflect the opinions of travel editors and cruisers/ readers and may not represent those of our company.
SUBMIT A REVIEWSEPTEMBER
Overall we had a nice cruise. The ship was in great condition, and crew were superb. The shows were good with the Ice Show being a REAL highlight. Despite missing two of our five ports (due to weather), the ports we did visit were excellent. To make up for missed ports, a fourth port was added on day 7, which was a nice surprise. We booked two Royal Caribbean excursions, and they were both excellent. A quick shoutout to the pub… the pub layout, staff, and pub singer were all incredible. Best pub in the fleet (as far as we’re concerned)! Unfortunately, we noticed that the core experience of cruising with Royal Caribbean has changed significantly since 2022. This is our third cruise with the new MDR menus, and the lack of variety is starting to affect our dining experience. The quality of the food was noticeably worse than previous cruises (following somewhat of a trend). However, this was overshadowed by the service speed of the MDR. Nights 1, 2 and 3 took 105-120 minutes between sitting down and receiving dessert. We noticed an extreme lack of assistant waiters, and only met our assist waiter once or twice per night. Our main waiter also seemed to be stretched to cover a large section, which likely slowed the delivery of food from the kitchen. There appeared to be a reduction in staffing in the MDR. My wife and I remained patent as we enjoyed our entire basket of bread, but we noticed many angry passengers around us every night. We retreated to the Windjammer on nights 4, 5, and 6… which was surprisingly as good (food wise) as the MDR. Also, the Windjammer took 20 minutes to eat, and the bar service was immediate. Similarly, the once per day stateroom service seemed acceptable on our last 4 night cruise, but we noticed the room wasn’t as clean by the end of this 7 night cruise. Only 2 towel animals for the week, and we didn’t get replacement towels a couple nights. I called housekeeping about 6 times each of those nights to ask for towels, but no one answered. Guest Services told me to try calling again (which was unsuccessful). We had to disassemble and share the poor towel animal… The excess of staff in the bars, and lack of staff in the complementary venues indicated a change of priority for the cruise line. Unfortunately we believe the core experience has slipped to a point where the allure and value of a Royal Caribbean cruise is affected. We plan to cruise again with RC, but we are concerned this trend may continue…
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AUGUST
We had a great time! Our staff was friendly and helpful. The pool decks were always crowded and it could be difficult to get a seat, especially if you did not camp all day at a seat. We enjoyed a lot of the smaller evening events - like karaoke and game shows, though we noticed that there was not much by way of big shows that we were interested in. We enjoyed our excursions and stops.
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MAY
Our trip required a lot of planning for my family to make it work, so I started looking 3 years in advance. I was booked on another cruise line that cancelled our trip, so I went back to Royal. I am SO GLAD that it all worked out that way! I truly enjoyed our family adventure and the staff on the Explorer added so much to our experience. I highly recommend Royal Caribbean!
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APRIL
Great experience.
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JANUARY
Had a lovely vacation.
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NOVEMBER
Smooth sailing
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FEBRUARY
Food was not that great. Staff was amazing!!!!!
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FEBRUARY
Slow bar service......understaffed considering the number of guests.
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FEBRUARY
I had a nice time on this cruise. The room was pretty large with a lot of storage space. The attendant for my room was Putu. He was awesome.
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JANUARY
On the whole a very nice experience, just suggest that 1-as we said above don't let small kids into the specialty restaurants, if they misbehave it ruins it for everyone. 2-Labadee - the beach was rocky and we were not warned. My wife cut her toe and foot in only ankle deep water because the rocks were not visible. There was too much pressure from the staff on the island to take our phones and take pictures of us. One of the staff took my wifes phone and went out of sight for a while and she is worried about that. 3-We saw the movie Judy on the big screen in the theatre one night. That was very nice and wish their were more "movie nights". Maybe show one movie every night! 4-Cupcake Class was good but should have specified children under 12cannot attend without a parent due to the skill required. And there should have been more classes offered on days at sea.
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MAY
<div>Ship started in Sydney. 50% of guests were from Australia and had been on boat 50 days. Avg. age around 75-80. Boat is small. Very little nightlife compared to other RCCL ships. No pool or outside activities other than the kid activities. However, most time was spent on shore. Daytime entertainment on board was a movie theater. No broadway shows. Only 2 comedy shows entire trip, and neither was good.</div>
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SEPTEMBER
Food was average except the upgrade options. Service was good but a couple workers were begging for positive feedback. Gym closing at 10 too early. Room shower did not drain properly.
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SEPTEMBER
Cruise director and activities director did a great job having so much to do on board you never got bored. They were so actively involved with the happenings on the ship and you would see them in a lot of activities. Great team!
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SEPTEMBER
Everything was great
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JULY
This was an excellent cruise and my mom and I had a fantastic time! Everything was awesome except for the elevators. My mom is unable to walk for very long, so I got her a wheelchair for the week. We spent so much time waiting for elevators, it was incredibly frustrating. Other than that, I can’t say enough about how great the experience was!!!
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JULY
Loved every minute of it. (other than the wait to register to board.) This was our first cruise and even though I got seasick, I will go again.
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MARCH
My cons for this ship is that it is SO large that I had a hard time getting used to the layout of the ship and how to find everything. Also, the entertainment on the ship was just average for me. I would like to see more singing/dancing from the entertainers. We only had 2 performances out of 7 nights from the singers/dancers.
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SEPTEMBER
We had an amazing cruise to Alaska. Donna White orchestrated the whole trip with us and met with us to assure that all details were in place and gave us some tips for travel from her own experiences. The ship was clean, our room was excellent. The staff was professional, polite, and went above and beyond to assure a comfortable and pleasurable experience. We would definitely choose Royal Carribean again.
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AUGUST
Had a great time
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NOVEMBER
Royal Caribbean is still our first choice of cruise lines, although this was not the most outstanding cruise of our 19 on Royal Caribbean. It was, however, very enjoyable.
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SEPTEMBER
Had a great time on Explorer of the Seas Alaskan cruise out of Seattle. Getting on and off the ship was a breeze. Everything was well organized, clean, and pleasant, even the medical center.
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SEPTEMBER
A great experience. We loved every minute of it. We enjoyed the virtual balcony as I think the weather at sea was too cold and damp to have been able to enjoy a real balcony.
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AUGUST
We were very impressed with this ship and crew. Our kids, age 12 and14 met so many other kids from around the states and abroad and my husband and I had lots of time together as a couple. The dinners were spectacular and the shore excursions well planned and varied. We will do another cruise with this company for sure.
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JULY
Very fun crew and lots of great evening entertainment including singing, dancing, comedians, magic show, sing alongs, karaoke, trivia, dance contests, line dancing, etc.
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JULY
<div>Enjoyed Alaska very much...the sights were gorgeous..The crew members couldn't do enough for you..enjoyed each of the ports and the whale watching excursions..the room with a balcony is the only way to cruise..we enjoyed the view and sitting out each night..The whole trip went very smooth and easy..will do all my traveling through this company. Thanks for a wonderful trip.</div>
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OCTOBER
Very interesting itinerary in an English dominated market. The ship had a very European feel to it, but it was easy to communicate with the other passengers, a definite plus. The ports were very interesting, with a lot of history. The shore excursions were well put together. If I had a mulligan, I would have put together a plan that allowed more shopping in each of the ports. Some of the ports have very unique products for sale. In warm weather, the ship seems less than full with many people spending the day at the pool. This was a fall cruise with little pool weather, so most people were inside on cruising days. Nonetheless the ship did not seem too full. One could still find a place to relax and enjoy a conversation.
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FEBRUARY
De barking was the worst part of the trip everything else was top shelf
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JANUARY
We did not have hot water in the shower. they were unable to fix the problem Overall we had a good time.
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JANUARY
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JANUARY
Arun Mulay was my server and he was very considerate and a great worker! Always kept us happy and made great reccomendations! Loved his service! His assistant You Wu was also very helpful and very kind! Loved this staff!
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DECEMBER
We all had a very good time. Sixteen of us went together to help friends celebrate their anniversary and we all were able to "do our own thing" during the days. We all ate dinner together, which was a great way to share our experiences from the day and a fantastic way to reconnect. Those of us who gamble had a blast in the Casino Royale. A few folks in our party did quite well at slots and/or blackjack. In the future when I book another cruise (and I will!!) I'll probably try a different ship/itinerary, just for some variation in ports of call.
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DECEMBER
5 nights is a perfect length for a cruise. The staff was wonderful. Everything was very clean. We had a party of 16, and the only thing I heard anyone suggest to improve is the portion size for dinner meals.
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DECEMBER
Our group was 53 couples from our housing development and the entire trip was a total joy! It is really great traveling with so many friends and neighbors.
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NOVEMBER
Had a wonderful time! This was our 10th cruise with this cruise line. As usual, RCCL delivered exceptional service, daily activities, entertainment, and food and beverage. Have been on Explorer of the Seas once before in 2010, and could tell that the ship is somewhat outdated with regard to decor and technology. However, the ship will be drydocked in March 2015 for a major update to match the other updated ships in the RCCL fleet. This 9-day cruise went to the Southern Caribbean (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, and Labadee) and fortunately yielded fabulous weather. A nice affordable cruise to take if you want to get away from the cold USA in the winter months.
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NOVEMBER
My ankles are still swollen, from being on my feet so long.
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NOVEMBER
<div>My travel agency did a great job.</div>
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NOVEMBER
My wife and I enjoyed out longest cruise to date, 14 nights. Rough weather the first couple of nights helped make the balance of the cruise that much better. We did feel they should have spent the last 1/2 day at Bonaire, as there is very little there at this time and we would have loved to had a whole day at Aruba!
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AUGUST
We did I think already 10 cruises and all with Royal Caribbean. And we will stay with Royal Caribbean.
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AUGUST
My overall vacation was great. I enjoyed seeing the differnet destination. The staff on board were on point and gave outstanding service. Out statesroom was cleaned at least 5 times a day. The ship is beautiful outside but out-dated inside. Food quality: To many unhealthy choices. Overall we had a good time
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JUNE
June sailing of Explorer of the Seas, departing round trip from Newark, and stopping at Bermuda, St. Maarten, San Jose and Labadee (Haiti), lasting 9 days. Professional and friendly staff, clean ship, and although large, there are plenty of places with privacy. Good entertainment, including the stage shows and the live music in the bars. The bar entertainment was diverse, appealing to many ages in a multi-generational family. The ports were about as I expected, with St. Maarten and Labadee beaches being among our favorites. Bermuda had a bit of the quaint feel of England, and there were plenty of ways to entertain oneself in San Juan with Old San Juan nearby, a couple of historic forts nearby and several very interesting shore excursions. The poor global economy has hit the Caribbean hard. Many poor folks have taken refuge in St. Maarten. The implication is that being approached to purchase things or give money is much more prevalent than at any time I can recall. It appears that RCI has struck a very nice arrangement with the Haitian officials, protecting the privacy of the travelers while still allowing tourists to help out the local, sometimes destitute, natives.
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MARCH
<div>1) Labadee Haiti-"Villagers" should be encouraged not to touch their potential customers. I was offended that the shopkeepers came out and attempted to physically move you into their market stalls 2) Puerto Rico-Unfortunate that the boat lands just about the same time most of the markets and stores are closing 3) Food-mixed bag. The Buffet and the higher end restaurant were both better than the main dining areas.</div>
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MARCH
<div>Labadee Haiti: I got off and walked the island...I was shocked to find that the shopkeepers in the "Village" actually came out and tried to manhandle us into their stalls...one was in danger of never again having natural sex when I realized that there were 4 elderly couples fearful..I asked if they wanted an escort back to the ship and the rest was history...RC needs to address this..either the "shopkeepers" need to be restrained or the passengers need to be forewarned...</div>
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MARCH
<div>Throughout the ship staff always greeted you and spoke to you, when they saw you. They were knowledgeable in the areas we had questions. Overly excited about tour of the kitchen galley. I am back home trying to book again. I am a gold member trying to work myself up to the top.</div>
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MARCH
<div>I went on a knitting cruise prepared to endure the cruise to get the knitting classes, but I really enjoyed my whole experience. I was surprised at the tile floors and all the granite and marble on counter tops and other structures. The art work was a lot of fun--photos by Annie Liebowiz(sp), Herb Alpert's horn as well as 2 sculptures and 2 paintings by him. I loved meeting all sorts of people and hearing many different languages. I really enjoyed my balcony room. I walked laps on the deck and went to the fitness center and the hot tubs. My knitting classes were great and scheduled mostly during the cold parts of the cruise when it wasn't much fun to be outside anyway. My shore excursions were fun also.</div>
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