7 Nights A Journey from Shimmering Skylines to the Gulf's Hidden Gems Cruise

The Best Way to Cruise

I’m just back from a Caribbean cruise on the newer MSC luxury ship, Explora II. Having cruised on Ritz Carlton, IIma in January of 2024, I can compare Explora II to that. I had a wonderful time with great service on both ships. Ritz excursions were better than the ones on Explora II. The food was excellent on both ships, but Explora had more variety. There was slightly more entertainment on Explora with large lounge, sport court and small casino. However, I really enjoyed the Ritz beach party, flower arranging class and the party given on the last night of the cruise. MSC should work on offering more unique and immersive excursions for their guests. There were only a handful of children on both of the cruises. If you are looking for luxury, service and the feeling that you have the ship to yourself, then you would enjoy either cruise ship.

5-stars from those who cruise AND those who don't!

Explora II: A 5-star review from those who cruise and those who don't! My wife and I, in our 50s, cruise a lot. We took an Explora II cruise (on the advice of our travel agent who is in love with Explora) from Barbados to San Juan with my wife's brother and his wife, also in their 50s. They don't remember the last decade they cruised but they are 6-star travelers and hate "cruise life!" Until now! We had the entry level cabin (Ocean Terrace Suite) and it was amazing! My wife loved the style and materials. I loved the walk in closet with the vanity mirror/desk so didn't have to see my wife on the floor in the hallway putting on her makeup. The bathroom was also one of the most spacious! My brother/sister in-law had one of the mid-larger cabins (Cove Residences) and were happy with their offering which came with an additional butler and whirlpool on balcony. Big Stage Entertainment: Biggest disappointment BUT so many other niches to hang that it was okay in the long run! Staff has a CAN-do attitude! Remember that part of hospitality? Its so refreshing! The creme de la creme was Alex (Sasha), head of Food & Beverage (pictured at the Asian-themed restaurant); we might actually cruise again to see him! We loved the guy who headed up the Whisky-tasting (tho forget his name now-sorry). Our cabin-steward, Jacqueline, was amazing (pictured with the abundance of Diet Coke my wife requested). Food & Restaurants: 10 out of 10 and, tho arduous, I think I ate at them all! Not thrilled with the pre-boarding as well as the boarding rezi app, which could sort by time available instead of having to go down the rabbit hole of each restaurant to see if they have availability at the time you want, but that hopefully will get fixed. Explora II was launched in 2024. I think the secret to these ships is that they pushed out inside accommodations as far out to the sides so gives more square footage in the rooms and also the common areas at the expense of redundant outside walking areas. Sometimes in the beginning of the cruise, when you get lost, you'll figure that out and then be lost no more! Common areas were awesome! The elevator banks on each wall had to press the button separately because the couches in between were causing people to trip! Isn't that Darwin at work? Hassle that should have a better workaround! Pools are amazing tho not happy that the outdoor whirlpool closes at 8pm! I am happy, thrilled that the size of the rectangular huge shape that accommodates more than one person at a time like those tiny round ones by the pool on other ships, where you're playing footsie all the time! Also, the Jacuzzis are facing the side of the ship so you can see some incredible sunsets instead of having to look at other bathers! I would go back on this ship for this feature alone! In the immortal words of The Terminator: I'll be balk!

Best Cruise Ever

The Ship: Beautiful, clean, easy to navigate. Plenty of space to sit and enjoy a drink or read a book. We cruised at about 82% capacity and it still felt like we were on a private yacht. The Cabin: We were in Cabin a basic OT1 which is the lowest price on the ship. It was more than adequate in size and the layout was great. The heated floor in the bathroom was awesome. A large single sink with lots of storage room, and a large shower with dual heads and a bench. Toiletries (shampoo etc.) were nice, but not the best we’ve had. A Dyson hair dryer was much appreciated. The toilet design was great and it was the best flushing toilet we’ve ever had. Entertainment: Each night there was a highlighted show in the Journeys Lounge. These shows were awesome every night and far better than what we were expecting based on reviews. The venue was never full so seating was always available. The bar service was provided by waiters who constantly walked about the room looking to serve. There was a fair amount of other musical entertainment in different lounges and areas around the ship, and several karaoke nights as well. Dining: Far and away the best we’ve ever had on a cruise ship. However, if the ship is more than half full you’ll probably only get to dine at a reasonable time once during your cruise at Marble and at Sakura. If you’re lucky, you may get a second visit at 8:45pm. But fear not the Fil Rouge, Med Yacht Club and the Emporium Marketplace always have seating available. We loved all 5 restaurants except for Med Yacht Club which had a menu that was not attractive to us. And yes, it’s true, unlimited cold water lobster tails each night in the Emporium. Drinks and Bar Service: While drinks were always available both at the bar and from servers who were everywhere, we found the mixed drinks not as good as on other ships. No idea why. Fortunately, the bartenders were happy to take instructions from guests as to how they wanted drinks made. As for the wine list, we were not impressed. Very limited selection of complimentary wines by the glass and even the extra cost wine selection was lacking. Not a single bottle of German Riesling on the entire ship. Pools and Hot Tubs: There were plenty of them and they were not crowded. The hot tubs on the open decks weren’t very hot. Hot tubs by the conservatory pool were semi-hot. The hot tub in the wellness spa area was very warm but still not hot. Of course none of the pools are heated. Lounge Chairs: As you find on virtually all ships, the “best” chairs were claimed early in the morning and “reserved” for the entire day by placement of a book or a flip-flop. Regardless, there were always plenty of lounge chairs available both in the sun and in the shade. Staff: By far the friendliest and most efficient of any cruise we’ve been on. Excursions: A word of caution. The Explora sponsored excursions sell out way in advance. This despite what I would consider to be very high pricing, Spa Treatments: We didn’t have any, so no comment. In-Cabin Entertainment: The usual (few) MSC TV channels. At least they had Fox News. Occasionally they would show the NFL playoff games but you really had to channel surf to find them. Quite a large variety of free movies. Captain’s Announcements: As is true of most cruises, we could only understand a few words here and there. Fellow Passengers: As expected, older and pretty quiet. Less than a dozen children on our cruise including teens. We tend to keep to ourselves, but did have nice conversations with guests at next table at dinners. Embarkation and Debarkation: By far the quickest and easiest of any cruise we’ve been on including the MSC Yacht Club. Final Thoughts: Best cruise we’ve ever been on. Book soon because they are raising prices at a rapid pace.