ARRIVAL
As we were arriving in Cape Liberty, NJ we headed to park and board the Explorer of the Seas a Royal Caribbean voyager 5 night cruise to Bermuda. The entrance to the port was well marked ,but the “temporary” maze of old run-down parking structures and buildings are not very welcoming for first-time cruisers. As we waited in line for around 30 minutes we finally reached the parking booth to pay and then found a spot to park and then walked to the boarding pass area to check-in our luggage and then was shuttled to the boat. As we entered the ship we headed to the Windjammer for the lunch buffet which was delicious and well prepared for the busy crowd. The view of New York City was wonderful to see from the wall of windows in the Windjammer.
ROOMS
Our stateroom was a standard room and we headed there after eating lunch. The room was very clean and small with adequate space for storage in the closet, living, and sleeping for the week for my husband and I. I did bring extra hangers which will help with keeping the clothes from getting too wrinkled and a clothes steamer. The bathroom showed its age ,but was very clean and small as well ,but was fine and the water pressure in the shower is great and everything worked well in the room. The two twin beds are pushed together to make a large bed and was comfortable and clean. Overall the room was great and would stay in their again.
SHIP EXPERIENCES/DAILY ACTIVITIES
This is our second Royal Caribbean cruise and the ships are wonderfully decorated with lots of onboard activities to enjoy including iceskating, movie theatre, rock climbing and mini-golf which was closed during our cruise week. As we departed from NJ the view of New York City was great seeing the Statue of Liberty and New York City. Day 1 we traveled around the boat after unpacking and headed to dinner in the dining room. The food was amazing every night and the service is absolutely excellent. They accommodated my food allergies and restrictions excellently with a great cuisine. The night ended with an ice skating show in the evening which was superb the talent they have on these cruise ships.
Day 2 was at sea and we decided to explore the boat decks and play shuffleboard, basketball, and join some lectures in the afternoon about the History of Bermuda Shipwrecks in the Schooner Bar which was very interesting. We went to the evening production show in the Palace Theatre which is always well done by production staff. Tonight also is formal night so we dressed up for the evening and enjoyed a wonderful time on the ship and on the deck looking at the stars and ocean breeze.
Day 3 & 4 We arrived at the Kings Wharf, Bermuda around 9 am. The island is beautiful and surrounded by crystal clear blue water. The island is separated by various towns and historical sites. We traveled to St. George, the Royal Dockyard, and Fort Hamilton and saw an amazing views of the island and ate some amazing seafood at the Freeport Seafood Restaurant. Everything on the island is very expensive including food and souvenirs. During our trip it rained the majority of the trip making it difficult to see the sights of the island and travel on the ferries and buses. The island is very clean with amazing pink sand beaches and the people are warm and friendly.
Day 5 We traveled back to NJ and enjoyed a wonderful last dinner in the dining room of lobster and rack of lamb. The food was amazing! We ate at Johnny Rockets which even had veggie burgers for me. The staff is great and the shows and entertainment available was great to enjoy and make friends and meet new people aboard the ship. We overall loved the cruise and the trip to Bermuda despite the rain and would definitely recommend the Explorer of the Seas.
This review was submitted by Naomi J. of Shelby, NC. If you would like to contribute a cruise review to CruiseFever.net, please click here.
