Explorer of the Seas Dining Guide; St. Kitts Cruise Destination Photo Guide

  

          Inasmuch as Explorer of the Seas is a very large cruise ship, you would expect it to have a number of places to dine.  However, as Hotel Director Xavier Matthias explained it to me, the different venues on Explorer are not there just to distribute the passengers around the ship.  Rather, each venue is designed to give the passengers a different experience that when taken together add up to a memorable cruise.

            To find out more about the dining on Explorer, I sat down with Mr. Matthias, a 17 year veteran of Royal Caribbean who started as a steward, and Executive Chef Patrick McCabe who has been sailing with the line for 10 years, and asked them to talk about each of the dining venues on Explorer.  From that I have put together a dining guide to Explorer of the Seas.  It is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/explorer-of-the-seas-dining-guide.html

            One of the destinations that we went to on my last cruise on Explorer was St. Kitts.  St. Kitts is one of the most scenic islands in the Eastern Caribbean.  It is growing in popularity as a cruise destination but it still has a quiet atmosphere and the people that I’ve met on my various voyages were quite friendly.  

            One of St. Kitts attractions that I found particularly interesting was the Brimstone Hill Fortress.  The forts on most of the Caribbean islands that I have seen have not been terribly impressive.  However, Brimstone Hill is quite a different story.  It occupies a volcanic dome that towers some 800 feet over the sea and the surrounding countryside.  The sides of the dome are almost vertical.  At the top are the defense works consisting of a citadel with great stone walls and a number of defensive bastions that overlook sheer cliffs.

            As I was walking around the fortress, I couldn’t help but think what an incredible task it was to build such a structure at a time when horses were the primary means of power.  It was quite a feat of engineering.  Unfortunately, it also must have been a source of suffering for the slaves who actually performed the toil.

            Today, however, Brimstone Hill has lost any sinister atmosphere it may have once had.  The views from the ramparts are simply spectacular.  St. Kitts’ coastal plain stretches out below and you can see miles out across the blue sea.  In the other direction are the mountains and a verdant mountain valley.  Punctuating the scene are stone ruins that would have enthralled the 19^th Century romantic poets.

            Brimstone Hill is one topic covered in our cruise destination photo guide.  It is posted at http://beyondships.com/Ports-StKitts-1.html  

Explorer of the Seas - Talking With Captain Olav

Captain Olav Nyseter likes to point out that he has been with his company for nearly 50 years. This may be somewhat startling to some as Royal Caribbean is only 43 years old. However, Captain Olav counts from when he went to work as a deck hand on a freighter for I.M. Skaugen Company, one of the three original investors that came together to form Royal Caribbean in 1969.




During his time with company, Captain Olav has seen cruising grow from being “a little bit wild west” to the polished component of the vacation industry that it is today. In addition to commanding such important ships as Song of America, sovereign, Monarch, Legend, Splendor and Rhapsody of the Seas, he has been involved in bringing 11 of the line’s ships into service. He has also been fleet captain, doing the shoreside management of all of the ships in Royal’s fleet.

These days, he is once again captain of Explorer of the Seas, a ship that he brought into service in 2000. Explorer remains a very popular ship and Captain Olaf is one of the reasons for the ship’s continuing success. Beyond his credentials as a seaman, Captain Olav is personable with a dry Nordic sense of humor that makes him a favorite with the guests.

When I was on Explorer recently, I had the opportunity to Captain Olav about what makes Explorer successful and where he see the ship headed in the future. During the course of our conversation, we also touched upon some aspects of his life that underscore that he is an extraordinary individual. The interview is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/explorer-of-the-seas-captain-interview.html

Photo Essay on Explorer of the Seas; Review Johnny Rockets

Happy New Year all!




My last cruise of 2011 was on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas. I had enjoyed cruising on her earlier in the year to Bermuda so when an attractive opportunity arose for a longer cruise on the ship to the Caribbean, I signed up.



Explorer is the second ship in Royal Caribbean’s Voyager class. At one time not so long ago, she and her sisters were the largest cruise ships in the world. Lately, I have heard people refer to her as a medium sized ship. That really is not fair or accurate. At, 138,000 gross tons she is still a big ship in absolute terms. Furthermore, there are still only a handful of ships that are larger - - Royal Caribbean’s two Oasis class ships and four Freedom class ships; Queen Mary 2, and Norwegian Epic.



Explorer has been sailing out of Bayonne, New Jersey in New York harbor on a year-round basis for more than half a decade. People in the New York area have become familiar with her and with her crew. (Friendliness is a watchword onboard). This fact coupled with the fact that many people in the northeast who like the Royal Caribbean product would rather drive to the pier than fly to Florida, means that she gets a lot of repeat passengers.



Planning is underway for a major refit of the ship. Royal is going through its fleet and enhancing each ship with new features derived from the success of Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas. Fleetmate Radiance of the Seas had her makeover last Spring and added numerous dining venues to her features. Explorer’s turn will come. In addition to dining venues, there is speculation that features such as a Flo-rider surfing simulator and a large outdoor video screen will be added. However, nothing appears to be written in stone.



These changes may not benefit Explorer’s New York/New Jersey area fans. The ship is only scheduled to be in New York until April 2013 and the refit may well occur after that. There have long been rumors that Liberty of the Seas would be deployed to replace Explorer. While there is some appeal to having a ship named Liberty sailing from Cape Liberty, these rumors appear to have lost currency. Instead, the speculation is that one of the forthcoming Project Sunshine ships may replace Explorer.



Royal has been quite tight-lipped about Project Sunshine. All that has leaked out is that the ships will be about the same size as the Freedom class ships and will be built by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany. (The builders of Celebrity’s Solstice class, Norwegian’s Jewel class and Royal’s Radiance class). Beyond that, all that is being said is that they will be “all-weather cruise ships.”



That phrase could mean a couple of things. It could simply mean that the pool deck will be covered in a similar fashion to Holland America’s Vista class ships. On the other hand, it could mean that the ships will have the power, hull design and strength to withstand major storms. If that is the case, the Project Sunshine ships will in essence be 21st century ocean liners - - something all ship enthusiasts would applaud.



My recent voyage on Explorer produced quite a lot of material that I will be sharing in coming weeks including an interview with Captain Olav. This week I have posted a new photo essay showing Explorer in various ports that she visited long with some of the ships that she met there. http://www.beyondships.com/Explorer-photos-Caribbean.html



I have also added new daily programs (Cruise Compasses) to the Explorer of the Seas’ profile page. http://www.beyondships.com/Explorer.html



Finally, I have added a specialty restaurant review of Johnny Rockets. On this last cruise, I found that people assumed that Explorer’s Johnny Rockets was simply a hamburger venue along the lines of the Mast Grill on Celebrity’s Solstice class ships or the Bimini Grill on Norwegian Dawn. While Johnny Rockets produces very good burgers, is more than that. It is an experience. The review is posted at http://www.beyondships2.com/explorer-of-the-seas-johnny-rockets-review.html

Explorer of the Seas - Profile, Photo Tour, Captain's Interview

Explorer of the Seas is one of five Voyager class ships that were built for Royal Caribbean. Although she has been in service for 11 years now, she remains one of the largest cruise ships. More importantly, she has been able to survive in the very competitive New York area cruise market for five years on a year-round basis while other ships have come and gone.




I returned to Explorer recently to see if I could uncover the secret of her longevity in New York. Although she does not have all of the features of her giant fleetmates Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, as a large ship, she still has quite a lot. There is always something happening on the Royal Promenade and as I discussed in an earlier posting, her Portofino specialty restaurant is the best that I have sampled in the Royal Caribbean fleet.



Furthermore, you do not have to travel all the way to Florida to get on the ship. If the destination is the Caribbean, you get there by sea. There is also the option of just going to Bermuda or up to Canada and New England. It is very convenient if you live in the northeastern United States or are in New York for a visit.



Another thing I noticed was the friendliness of the staff. Captain Henrik Loy, master of the Explorer, told me that he sees the bond that forms between the crew and the guests as one of his ship’s greatest strengths. As proof, he pointed out that half of the guests that cruise on Explorer are repeat guests. Hotel Director Benny Weidecker added that Royal Caribbean is very much focusing on personalized service in order to create such connections.



My interview with Captain Loy and Mr. Weidecker is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/EOS--Captain-HD.html



Also while I was onboard, I re-photographed the ship. As a result, the Beyondships photo tour of Explorer of the Seas has many new photographs. It begins at http://www.beyondships.com/Explorer-tour.html



Similarly, the Explorer profile has been updated with new Cruise Compasses, menus and various informational handouts that were distributed onboard. There are also many new exterior photos of the ship. The profile page is at http://www.beyondships.com/Explorer.html

Photo Guide to Bermuda; Review of Portofino Restaurant; Inside Shore Excursions

The Bermuda cruising season has begun and is actually well underway. Although Bermuda is sometimes grouped together with the Caribbean islands, it is actually much further north - - about on the same latitude as North Carolina. Consequently, it is not a winter cruise destination. But, during the Spring and Summer months, it does not get as hot as the islands further south. This is one reason why it is a great summer cruise destination.

Another reason is the beauty of the island. It has a bevy of world class beaches - - many with pink sand and artistic looking rock formations. In addition, the landscape is charming with brightly painted houses nestled in amongst the sub-tropical foliage.

A Bermuda cruise is a short cruise from the US East Coast - - there are ships that leave regularly from Boston, New York and Baltimore. The first day is a lazy sail as the ships have to travel at a slow speed to avoid arriving too quickly. Then, most ships spend at least a couple of days in Bermuda. Not only does this allow guests to see the sights during the day but one can sample the island’s culture in the evening.

The culture of the islands - - Bermuda is actually a chain of small islands linked together by bridges and causeways - - is a unique mix. For example, there is the traditional business attire of a suit jacket, tie and shorts. One can see British influences and African influences.

Bermuda is an international business center. As a result, although the island is tourist friendly it is not as commercialized as some of the Caribbean ports. Most shops have a Bermuda flavor and the chain stores that one sees in every Caribbean port are conspicuous by their absence.

Bermuda is home to a sizeable number of billionaires and film stars. Their mansions are sometimes visible perched along the shore. Similarly, there are resorts such as the Elbow Beach Club that cater to the rich and famous. Perhaps it is the romance of the islands combined with its scenic beauty and easy lifestyle that attract them. In any case, it is a good recommendation for Bermuda that people who could spend their time anywhere in the world choose to spend time in Bermuda.

Beyondships’ new photo guide to Bermuda is at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-Bermuda-1.html

One ship that is a regular visitor to Bermuda is Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas. The specialty restaurant onboard her is the elegant Italian-style Portofino. My review of this specialty restaurant is at http://www.beyondships.com/Explorer-Review-Portofino.html

Finally, most people who cruise take a shore excursion purchased through the ship’s shore excursion office. Accordingly, I spoke with Beatrix Bense, the Tour Office Manager on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 about how a tour office works and how shore excursions are arranged. That interview is at http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-art-Bense.html

Cruising the Norwegian Fjords; Photos of Explorer of the Seas

Perhaps the most awe inspiring scenery that I have seen from a cruise ship is in the Norwegian fjords. The ship sails into a narrow passage with sheer rock walls towering literally thousands of feet over the decks. Waterfalls cascade down these wall into the sea.

Just when you think you have taken the whole scene in, you notice a house perched on a ledge. It is so tiny. The scale of these mountains must be so much greater than you thought. How could people even get there much less live there?

At the end of the fjord is a valley with a small village in it. The valley is green and lush. Its reflection is cast into the still waters. Although there are people around, it is quiet. The commotion of modern life is far away.

The scenery in the valley is almost too perfect. It looks like a display that someone has set up for a model train display. There are a few buildings, farms, roads, and greenery going up the sides of the valley.

You look further up towards the mountain peeks that tower over the valley. Up there, snow still covers the grey rocks. Winds propel fast moving clouds so that one moment they obscure the peaks and the next they have gone.

A fjord cruise also usually involves calls in more developed towns such as Bergen, Stavanger or Trondheim. Here, the scenery acts as a backdrop to the cultural experience of seeing the Norwegian approach to life.

I have put together a photo tour section about cruising to the Norwegian fjords. The home page is at http://www.beyondships.com/Ports-Norway-fjords.html It also has separate pages for the ports of Alesund, Bergen, Flam, Geiranger, Olden, Stavanger and Trondheim. The aim is to give you a feel for the type of ports one encounters on a Norwegian fjords cruise.

Changing topics, when I am cruising, I often encounter another ship that is doing something interesting or which is in a good light and in the right position for a series of photos. One such incident occurred early one morning when I was standing on the deck of a ship and Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas came out of the morning sun and proceeded to dock at the Black Falcon cruise terminal in Boston. I have added a photo essay showing this incident to Beyondship’s Explorer of the Seas section. http://www.beyondships.com/Explorer-photos-Boston.html

Photo Tour and Guide to Carnival Dream

After much consideration, I think the best way to describe Carnival Dream is that she has gravitas. The ship is confident, substantial and important.

For nearly a decade Carnival Cruise Lines has been developing the design that first debuted with Carnival Destiny. With each ship, new features were added and the size of the ships grew somewhat.

With Carnival Dream, the line took a substantial step up in size. Its previous ship, Carnival Splendor, is 113,000 gross tons while Carnival Dream is 130,000 gross tons.

This difference in size gives the ship better proportions and makes her more substantial from her predecessors. It is like everything that had gone before was leading up to this.

This is so not just with the ship’s physical size but also with what Carnival is doing onboard. For example, the line has been moving steadily away from its origins as a party venue for young people towards being a family vacation experience. With 19,000 square feet devoted to children - - not placed off in some out-of-the-way corner of the ship but right in the center - - Carnival line is making clear that it is a family vacation experience.

One can also see that the line is increasing the overall quality of its product. Carnival has always been good value for money but it has been pushing upwards, offering items that with the Dream are the equivalent of those found on premium market cruises. A clear example is the multi-deck spa.

Carnival has also taken a step upward with the new shows it is featuring in the ship’s theater. These are not just musical revues but rather more akin to Broadway productions. While they still rely primarily on popular tunes, they are packaged in a more thought-provoking production.

The Dream is not just a good development of some old ideas. The Carnival experience is enhanced by the addition of several new features. One of these is the transformation of the outdoor promenade into the Lanai. In the past, the outdoor promenade was the gloomy area under the lifeboats where only a few souls went primarily to have a smoke. The Lanai is a much wider area that is protected from the wind and which is sunlit due to the fact that the lifeboats have been placed underneath it. There are also whirlpools, nice padded furniture and an area of tables where one can bring drinks and/or food.

The Lanai opens into the Ocean Plaza, which includes a bar, the specialty coffee bar, seating and a stage for live performances. This area gives the public rooms a centerpiece that was lacking on prior Carnival ships. It is a user-friendly place for the ship’s programmed activities as well as a crossroads.

Beyondships profile of Carnival Dream is at and the photo tour and commentary begins at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalDream-Profile.html and the photo tour and commentary starts at http://www.beyondships.com/CarnivalDream-Tour-1.html

Turning to the news, Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Cunard, Costa and several other lines, announced that it earned $193 million in the fourth quarter of 2009. This was better than what Wall Street analysts had been expecting and indicates that even in poor economic times, people are reluctant to sacrifice their vacation and that the public recognizes that cruising is a very economical way to vacation.

Winter has commenced early in the northeast and Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 managed to arrive in New York on schedule during the first blizard of the season. The ship encountered 30 foot waves coming up the coast from the Caribbean and managed to maintain a speed of approximately 25 knots. The ship is doing a series of Caribbean cruises from New York before beginning her world cruise.

Meanwhile, NCL’s Norwegian Gem returned to New York on December 12 for a season of winter cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean. The Gem is the only ship sailing from Manhattan this winter. On the other side of the harbor, however, Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas will be sailing again this winter from Bayonne, New Jersey.

Captains Interviews: Carnival Splendor and Explorer of the Seas

The primary objective of Beyondships is to give people a feel for the various ships profiled on the site. To do this, I like to present the views of the people who actually run those ships in addition to the photo tour, menus, daily programs and other information presented on the site. I think it helps give more of the human element of the experience. This week we present conversations with the senior officers of two popular ships: Carnival Splendor and Explorer of the Seas.

I met with Captain Giorgio Pagano, Master of the Carnival Splendor, and seven of his senior officers in the ship’s Robusto Bar. It was a free-flowing exchange with the various officers supplementing what each other was saying. Since Splendor is a new ship, the conversation focused on the construction of the ship and how she was brought into service. On a ship that reportedly cost half a billion dollars, it was a much more involved process than simply turning up at the shipyard on the delivery date and taking the keys.

The second item is based on a conversation that I had with Captain Erik Standal (top photo above) when he was Captain of Explorer of the Seas. (He has since gone on to command Explorer’s sister ship Navigator of the Seas). Captain Erik is a great source of information and there is already interview with him on the site about Explorer and some of his comments are included in the photo tour of Navigator.

Explorer sails year-round from New York harbor (Bayonne, New Jersey) and in this conversation we discussed Explorer’s ability to handle the winter weather in the northeast. We also talked about his approach to actually driving one of the world’s largest ships. Finally, we discussed emergency rescues at sea.

My conversation with the officers of Splendor is at http://beyondships.com/CarnivalSplendor-interview.html. While the article about Explorer is at http://beyondships.com/Explorer-Standal-2.html.

Jorge Lynch, Hotel Director Explorer of the Seas

Jorge Lynch is a big man, towering over most of the people he meets. But then, he has a big job to do - - running the hotel on Explorer of the Seas, which means ensuring that more than 3,000 passengers a week have a quality vacation experience. This requires supervising the vast majority of the crew of Explorer as well as being in charge of the dining, staterooms and entertainment - - in short, everything that most directly affects the guests’ vacation experiences.

Mr. Lynch is well qualified for this role. He had a formal education in hotel administration and has held management positions at shoreside hotels and resorts. Moreover, he started as an assistant purser on Empress of the Seas and has worked in most of the management positions in the hotel operations on almost all of the classes of Royal Caribbean ships. As a result, he has a unique understanding of what Royal Caribbean guests want and what is required to fulfill those desires. It also helps in management, he says with a laugh, because the staff know they cannot BS him about the problems encountered in their positions.

I had the chance to speak with Mr. Lynch during my recent voyage on Explorer. We spoke about what it takes to motivate the hotel staff to give the excellent service displayed on Explorer during my cruise. Also, he gave me some thoughts on Royal Caribbean’s expansion into Europe, Asia and other new cruising markets. The interview is posted at: http://beyondships.com/Explorer-Lynch.html

Captain Standal of Explorer of the Seas

During my recent voyage on Explorer of the Seas, I was invited up to the bridge as the ship was leaving Bermuda. Explorer is a big ship, 138,000 tons, and thus cannot dock in Hamilton or St. George’s in Bermuda. Consequently, we were at the King’s Warf pier at the former Royal Navy dockyard.

Seemingly, one could just pull away from the pier from Kings Warf and head directly out to sea towards New York. Once you are clear of the dockyard area, there is just water extending to the horizon. However, hidden just below the surface are numerous rock outcroppings that surround the island. Consequently, cruise ships have to follow a narrow channel and make a circuit around the island before heading off in their desired direction.

At one point not all that far from the pier, the channel narrows down so that it is not much larger than Explorer’s 155-foot width. Because of the narrowness of the channel, any sideways drift would lead to disaster. Therefore, the ship would have to put on a burst of speed in order to pop straight through the opening.

Just beyond the opening, the Costa Fortuna sat waiting for Explorer to pass. The new second pier at King’s Warf was still under construction and so the Costa ship had to wait until Explorer vacated her berth.

The rocks on either side of the opening just below the turquoise water were clearly visible from the bridge. Captain Erik Standal and the Bermuda pilot stood at the center console while the Staff Captain was over by the port side bridge wing so that he could observe how closely the side of the ship was to the rocks. Explorer accelerated, not to her full speed, but to a speed much faster than the normal lazy pace that cruise ships follow going in and out of port. With seemingly only a few feet to spare, Explorer shot through the opening. The water was pushed back from the rock outcroppings and then surged back, swirling in Explorer’s wake.

Once the ship was out into open waters, I sat down with the Captain for an interview. Explorer’s glass enclosed bridge runs the width of the ship and extends out over the water on either side. The computerized technology used to navigate Explorer does not take up much of this vast space so there is room for an informal conference area with comfortable chairs and a sofa. As a result, the Captain was able to keep an eye on what was going on on the bridge as we spoke.

Captain Erik, as he calls himself in his daily announcements to the guests, is a quiet but approachable person. His youthful appearance gives no clue as to his substantial sea experience. Similarly, his easy, informal manner gives no clue as to the perseverance needed to go from working on ventilation systems shoreside in Norway to commanding one of the world’s largest ships.

I spoke with Captain Erik about his career, commanding Explorer and his thoughts about cruising in general. The interview is posted at http://beyondships.com/Explorer-Standal.html

Considering Explorer of the Seas

I was recently on Explorer of the Seas’ first Bermuda cruise of the 2008 season. Explorer is one of Royal Caribbean International’s mega-cruise ships and operates year-round out of Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, New Jersey on the other side of New York Harbor from Manhattan. She sails to the Caribbean, Bermuda and Canada. I have jotted down a few impressions for those who may be considering a voyage on Explorer.

RCI's goal is to create a vacation experience that is a fun, exciting adventure and Explorer lends itself to that goal. The large size of the ship is well utilized to provide an extensive array of amenities and facilities.

The experience on board is geared toward physical activity. Thus, the facilities, activities and shows lean toward the lighter side than towards cultural enrichment. Particularly, impressive was the ice show, which was done with virtuoso skating, beautiful lighting and costumes.

The service was friendly and responsive. All of the staff say hello and you find yourself doing the same to all you meet. In addition, I was impressed by the crew's eagerness to please. For example, for breakfast and lunch, the main dining room is open seating. Thus, the waiters serving breakfast and lunch are unlikely to ever cross the path of a particular passenger again much less receive a tip at the end of the voyage from him or her. Yet, they brought the food quickly and sought to accommodate special requests.

The atmosphere on Explorer is casual. However, on the formal night, the ship rose to the occasion and brought it off in good style.

I have put together a commentary and my photos of Explorer and produced a photo tour which is posted at

http://www.beyondships.com/Explorer-tour.html