Explorer Of The Seas

The 2000-built Explorer of the Seas cruise ship is the 2nd Voyager-class Royal Caribbean liner, with sisterships Adventure OTS, Navigator OTS, Mariner OTS, Voyager OTS.

The vessel (IMO number 9161728) is currently Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 311316000) and registered in Nassau.

History - construction and ownership

Royal Caribbean International (RCI) is a US passenger shipping company, trademarked travel brand and subsidiary owned by Royal Caribbean Group (RCG/shipowner). RCI was established in 1968 and currently has over 1/5 of the worldwide cruise market. RCI also has RCG's largest fleet by both vessel number and GT tonnage (ship sizes and capacities).

All RCI liners have names ending with "of the Seas".

The 3300-passenger ship Explorer OTS has been bypassed in size by the Freedom-class and the world's largest Oasis-class liners. However, it's still between the largest ships in the world, with a range of the most un-cruise-like places at sea. The revolutionary Voyager-class vessels follow the floating resort concept and boast a wealth of amenities, activities and amusement.

Among the special facilities is the 60x40 ft ice skating rink, a shopping and dining boulevard, rock-climbing wall, wedding chapel, complete-court basketball and spa complex. There is a lot to appeal to each age group, making Explorer an amazing cruise vessel for multi-generational reunions. Explorer of the Seas is also one of Royal Caribbean's most reasonably priced ships.

Decks and Cabins

Explorer Of The Seas staterooms (1641 total, in 34 grades) include 115 Suites, 652 Balcony, 232 OceanView, 138 Promenade View, 504 Inside (including Virtual Balcony). Most cabins are sized 150-160 ft2 (14-15 m2). Most cabin balconies are sized 50 ft2 (5 m2). The largest is Royal Suite (1090 ft2 / 101 m2 plus 215 ft2 / 20 m2 terrace with Jacuzzi). Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 27.

The boat has 15 decks, of which 14 are passenger-accessible and 8 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

From the meals in the main dining room to the buffet choices in Windjammer Cafe and options available at 24-hour Cafe Promenade, food aboard Explorer of the Seas is well prepared with plentiful choices, especially considering ship's capacity. The main dining room offers flexible "My Time Dining" during dinner. Guests can choose between assigned early or late dining, or opt for flexible dining. The 3-level formal dining room is between the most stunning in moderately priced cruise lines: it's a unique space linked by a grand staircase, with gold-leaf columns and golden velvet curtains. The MDR also features a ceiling dome with gold rays and stars. Each of its three levels is themed to legendary explorers: Magellan, Da Gama and Columbus.

The Windjammer buffet restaurant features mediocre cuisine with kudos to the egg station at breakfast and the carving station at lunch. Vegetarians will do better in the MDR at lunch. The Windjammer, however, is an option for the nights when flexibility is expected. The buffet features the items offered on the main dining room menu.

The Italian-themed Giovanni’s Table charges a US$20 per-person cover charge (specialty beverages, wine, beer and soda are paid separately), and offers a multi-course meal.

Johnny Rockets is another specialty eatery, 1950's-style burger joint, where passengers can indulge in hot dogs, burgers, chilli fries and onion rings.

Follows the complete list of Explorer of the Seas restaurants and food bars.

• Sapphire Restaurant (540-seat aft Dining Room with fixed seating for Dinner)
• Windjammer Cafe Lido buffet restaurant (310-seat, offers Early Breakfast at 6:30 a.m., Breakfast between 7-11:30 am, Lunch 11.30-3:30 pm and Dinner 6.30-9 pm)
• Johnny Rockets Restaurant (248-seat burger bar, the extra fee applied)
• Giovanni’s Table (Italian specialty restaurant, reservations recommended)
• Izumi (Japanese Cuisine)
• Island Grill (454-seat)
• Chops Grille (steakhouse).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

At night, Explorer OTS offers Broadway-style revues at the 4-deck Palace. Bar venues offer various musical performances aimed to please everybody at any time with classical guitar, jazz and country. Studio B Ice Rink hosts the ice skating show "Ice Planet" with falling "snow" - worth the effort to get a ticket (free of charge) but the venue is tiny, so tickets are limited.

Another unusual activity is the rock-climbing wall competition. And while the Royal Promenade is the spot for a street-fair atmosphere, the intimate spaces for quiet time onboard include the Aquarium Bar, with nice tanks with 56 tons of saltwater and variety of tropical fish; the nautical-themed Schooner Bar and Seven Hearts Card Room.

Additional amenities include Complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, supervised Youth program, Internet/WiFi Access, Laundry.

Follows the complete list of Explorer of the Seas lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• The Palace Theatre (1362-seat, features two grand productions per night with dance, acrobatics, comedy and game shows)
• Studio B Lounge (904-seat indoor ice-skating rink; also serves as a spot for ice shows, cooking demos, game parties)
• The Chamber Disco and Nightclub (240-seat)
• Focus Photo Gallery and Shop; Art Gallery (art auctions are organized in the 350-seat Star Lounge)
• The Centrum (social hub); Next Cruise Lounge; Concierge Club (26-seat; suite and past guests only); Viking Crown Lounge and Bar; Diamond Club Lounge and Bar (past guests only); Dizzy’s Lounge and Bar (96-seat jazz club); Crown and Kettle English Pub (75-seat)
• Schooner Bar (130-seat piano bar); Connoisseur Cigar Club (34-seat smoking lounge); R Bar (wine tastings); Sky Bar; The Tavern (sports bar)
• Casino Royale (capacity 416 seats)
• Cafe Promenade (105-seat, 24-hour; serves snacks and drinks, as well as Starbucks specialty coffee)
• Royal Promenade Boutiques (perfumes, jewelry, duty-free alcohol, general store, logo/souvenirs); Sea Trek Dive Shop
• Royal Caribbean Online center (Internet computers room; 24-hour)
• Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center; 7 jacuzzis; 4 pools
• Solarium lounge (includes Park Cafe, pool bar and adults-only pool area)
• Outdoor movie screen
• Video Games Arcade; Optix Teen Disco club; Living Room teen lounge area; Royal Babies and Tots Nursery
• Adventure Ocean kids lounge area
• Sports Court (golf simulator, table tennis, basketball court); Jogging Track; Rock-climbing Wall; Explorer Dunes Golf Course; Flowrider
• Skylight Wedding Chapel (40-seat, provides religious services)

During drydock 2023 (January-March) on Explorer OTS was installed The Perfect Storm (dual-racing waterslides) which is positioned aft on Deck 13 (opposite the Mini-Golf Course and between the FlowRider and the Sports Court).

The Perfect Storm is complimentary and includes 2 racer slides (“Cyclone” and “Typhoon”). Both spiraling slides are positioned portside and accessed via a 3-floor-high, glass-enclosed swirling staircase. There are no age restrictions, but there are passenger height and weight requirements - min 48 inches (122 cm) and max 300 lbs (136 kg).

Itineraries

Following the Coronavirus crisis, in 2021 the Explorer of the Seas itinerary program was based on Caribbean roundtrips from homeports San Juan Puerto Rico and Miami Florida.

The 7-day Southern Caribbean itineraries out of Puerto Rico visit the islands St Maarten, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, St Thomas USVI, St Croix USVI, St Maarten, St Lucia, St Kitts, Barbados.

Out of PortMiami are operated 6-day Western Caribbean and 8-day Southern Caribbean voyages, all of which visit the private island CocoCay Bahamas.

Explorer of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean's Voyager-class liners, with sisterships Adventure, Navigator, Mariner, Voyager. Ship's godmother was Jackie Joyner-Kersee (US athlete and Olympic medalist). The naming ceremony was on October 21, 2000, held in New York Harbour. On Oct 28 started the inaugural cruise (maiden voyage) from NYC to Eastern Caribbean.

"Explorer of the Seas" is not a randomly selected name. The ship has a laboratory for studying the seas and the atmosphere. The lab is run by the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science of the University of Miami.

On May 16, 2016, Explorer OTS (back then the largest passenger liner on US West Coast) arrived in homeport Seattle WA. Ship's inaugural Alaskan season offered 7-day Seattle roundtrips to Alaska and Canada (Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Arm Fjord, Victoria BC).

The ship's Captain is Kjetil Gjerstad (Norwegian).

In 2016, Explorer OTS offered for the first time voyages in Australia-New Zealand and Asia, with departures out of homeports (respectively) Sydney NSW and Singapore.

In 2020, after the completion of the planned major drydock in Cadiz, the ship had to be homeported in Civitavecchia-Rome for 7- and 9-night Mediterranean itineraries visiting ports in Italy and Greece/Greek Islands (Santorini, Crete, Mykonos). Following the Transatlantic repositioning crossing (from Europe to USA), Explorer OTS was to be homeported in Miami Florida for 5- and 9-night Eastern and Southern Caribbean itineraries, all visiting CocoCay Bahamas.

Explorer OTS refurbishments 2020-2023 review (Royal Amplified)

The ship was last drydocked in 2023 (January 29 thru March 12) at Navantia Shipyard (Cadiz Spain). The drydocking was mainly for routine maintenance works (technical and hotel overhauls, hull cleaning/painting) but was also added The Perfect Storm (aft-portside of Deck 13) which is a dual-racing waterslide grouping the Cyclone and Typhoon tube slides.

Drydock 2020 refurbishment (USD 110 million project / March 17 - May 6) was conducted at Navantia Shipyard as part of RCI's "Royal Amplified" (fleet renovation) program. However, due to the Coronavirus pandemic (shipyard closure and financial losses by RCCL), the original project was revised and to be finished later. The drydocking in 2020 was limited to technical works, including hull cleaning/repainting and routine maintenance.

Explorer OTS' "Royal Amplified" refurbishment continued in 2021 and resulted in newly added venues and amenities.

• (Sports Deck 13) Perfect Storm (outdoor complex with 2 high-speed waterslides - Cyclone” and “Typhoon”). Both spiraling slides are positioned portside and go around the Flowrider. Starboard is the raft slide “Tidal Wave” (rafts plummet down a very steep drop, then shot up a nearly vertical wall into the air, follows a free fall and a swift return below). Note: The aquapark and the duo of waterslides were first introduced on Liberty OTS and Harmony OTS (Oasis-class).
• redesigned pool deck (Lido Deck 11) adding to the swimming pool's sundeck hammocks, daybeds, casitas (small wooden cabins), in-pool chaise lounge chairs
• "The Lime and Coconut Bar" (poolside bar on 3 levels/floors)
• completely renovated Solarium (adults-only complex forward on Deck 11)
• Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen (Italian specialty trattoria restaurant)
• "Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade" (sport-themed bar lounge with Owner’s Box /VIP seating)
• Johnny Rockets Express (pool deck food and beverage service).
• Starbucks (kiosk/coffee beverages and pastries)
• Studio B (2-level lounge/decks 2-3) upgraded with "Clash for the Crystal City" (laser tag game)

The Youth Center was also redesigned and upgraded. Adventure Ocean (kids complex) received new rooms and age-group activities. The Teen Lounge received a new hangout, music and gaming experiences, and an exclusive open-air sundeck was added.

Explorer OTS refurbishment 2018 review

During drydock 2018 all staterooms were renovated. Also on Spa Deck 12 (aft) was added Slashaway Bay (kids aquapark) - an interactive water play area with cannons and geysers, replacing the old Outdoor Youth Area (aka “back deck”).

Explorer OTS refurbishment 2015 review

Drydock 2015 (March) resulted in the following upgrades:

• Chef’s Table (gourmet, private dining package experience) was added.
• On deck 2 (starboard) the Board Room was replaced by 4 new oceanview cabins.
• On deck 3, the Chamber disco was replaced 19 new interior cabins. Also here (aft portside) were added 5 new oceanview cabins, plus another 15 cabins (starboard) taking space from the Art & Photo Gallery. The gallery itself was renamed to Focus, and the Dining Room – from “Magellan” to “Sapphire”.
• On deck 4, the Chamber disco (level 2) was transformed into Giovanni’s Table (Italian trattoria restaurant). Also here, the Eco-learning station and the Aquarium Bar (portside section) were replaced with The Tavern (sports bar). The Dining Room was renamed from “Da Gama” to “Sapphire”.
• On Promenade Deck 5, Maharaja’s show lounge was redesigned and renamed “Star Lounge”. Also here, the Champagne Bar (wine bar) was replaced by R-Bar. The Dining Room was renamed from “Columbus” to “Sapphire”.
• On deck 6, one new inside cabin was added (number 6137) and the Business Services office was replaced with Next Cruise.
• On deck 7, one new inside cabin was added (number 7139) and some of the balcony room categories were changed. Categories were also changed on deck 8.
• On deck 9, one new inside cabin was added (number 9237) and category changes were made.
• On Navigation Deck 10, one new inside cabin was added (number 1233) and category changes were made.
• On Lido deck 11, an outdoor theatre) (Jumbotron /huge movie screen) was installed. Also here, the Portofino (Italian restaurant) was replaced by the Chops Grille (steakhouse). The Island Grill is now part of the Windjammer buffet.
• On Spa Deck 12, the Royal Caribbean’s signature Nursery was added. Also here (forward, around the ShipShape Spa) new Spa cabins were added in the categories "Panoramic Oceanview" and "Balcony". Aft on the deck, Adventure Beach was replaced with the Outdoor Youth Area.
• On deck 13, the In-line roller track was removed and the Royal Caribbean’s signature FlowRider (surf simulator) was added
• On deck 14, the “Diamond Club” lounge replaced the “19th Hole” (sports bar). This is a signature venue for “Crown & Anchor” members only. Also here, two multipurpose rooms (Cloud Nine, Seven Hearts) were replaced by the Izumi (Asian restaurant).
• Digital signage boards (way finders) on several decks were installed. These touch-screen boards allow you to know your way around the ship.
• Wi-Fi coverage was upgraded to shipwide.

Cabin amenities were upgraded with HDTVs added in all passenger staterooms.