As part of our honeymoon we did a 7 night Caribbean Cruise on Explorer of the Seas. We arrived by taxi to Miami port where we were met by Royal Caribbean staff who immediately took care of our luggage, check in was smooth and prompt. We were directed to the lifts and advised of our deck, on exiting the lift my jaw dropped, we had no idea we were actually already on the ship! It was breath taking. We had booked a junior suite with balcony on the 10th deck and it was wonderful. The cabin was extremely spacious, there was a full bathroom with bath and shower, walk in wardrobe, queen size bed, full vanity with TV, a large seating area with sofa and table and a beautiful balcony which was furnished with a table and 2 chairs. Our luggage was already in our cabin by the time we arrived.
The ship itself is amazing. Everything is centred on the Royal Promenade which runs down the middle of the entire ship, it’s the length of 2 football pitches and 4 storeys high, here you will find and Ice Cream Parlour, bars, shops, pizzeria and access to the Casino and nightclub. For the more sporty in the family there is a full gym, running track, rock climbing wall, ice skating rink and multi sports court. And for relaxing, the spa is second to none, the facilities are great but I found it quite pricey.
We found dinning on board excellent; the main dinning room is beautiful with a wonderful choice throughout the menu. There is also a lovely buffet restaurant, a romantic Italian restaurant, Johnny Rockets and of course 24 hour room service, all of the food was excellent. There is a small cover charge for the Italian restaurant but it is well worth it, you must book at table approx 24 hrs before you want to eat there. It is small and intimate with fabulous food and a very romantic atmosphere, at the top of the ship the views are quite brilliant.
Entertainment on board was superb; there really is something for everyone. The evening shows are outstanding, they would rival Broadway, and they alternate between the stage and the ice skating rink every night so it’s never boring. The staff put a huge amount of effort into the entertainment. We also enjoyed the casino, night club and the mid night buffet!! It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen, the whole top deck of the ship has huge tables of amazing food, ice and chocolate sculptures running the full length of the deck, there is wonderful music and a great party atmosphere.
We did the Western Caribbean which meant we visited, Labadee in Haiti, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, and Cozumel.
Our favourite was Labadee, Royal Caribbean own this corner of Haiti and it is just a Caribbean paradise, crystal clear waters, white powder sand and again wonderful food as the chefs from the ship come ashore and throw a full 5 Star BBQ.
Grand Cayman was great for shopping, the jewellery is such good value, and it’s definitely worth waiting till you get to Grand Cayman before you splurge! It’s also a great experience to swim with the Sting Rays.
In Jamaica we docked in Ochos Rios and headed to Dunne River Falls, instead of booking one of the ships excursions we just jumped in a taxi which were very plentiful at the port. The river falls are beautiful but you do need a certain level of mobility and fitness to climb the falls!!
We decided not to get off the ship in Cozumel, although the ship is gigantic with plenty of facilities it was lovely to ramble around the ship while everyone else was off in port. The ship really empties out and it’s a great chance to relax and explore all the facilities of this wonderful ship.