Having cruised for 35 years on a multitude of ships, I have seen the decline of the cruise experience first-hand. From the cheapening of the menu offerings to the boilerplate entertainment of second-rate comedians and under-rehearsed "broadway" revue type shows, to fewer and cheaper on-board activities and the relentless attempts to shake as much profit from such things as "premium" restaurants to art auctions I am sad to state that the "Bean-counters" have ruined what was once an elegant and memorable experience.

And so on to the Explorer of the Seas. The Good, the Bad, and the downright Ugly.

First, the food.The menu was repetitive and mediocre. The buffet offerings were often cold, unappetizing, and of poor quality. Many dishes left the impression of being leftovers. The grille offered cold hamburgers and low quality hot dogs. The salads ingredients were limited and in at least one case had an insect crawl out of a salad served at the evening meal. At the buffet, what was listed as ham was in fact pork, and what was later served as ham was tough and tasteless. The breakfast menu was generally good with a good variety of standard breakfast fare. Many of the pasta offerings were undercooked, and fillers like french fries were all too frequent. The desserts were repetitive and bland. Small cups of Jello, cookies, and glutenous mousse were found all too often. Was there a pastry chef on board? There was so little variety it was obvious that there was little attempt at creating tasty dessert offerings. Read more