Member Reviews Be the first to review
Editorial Cruise Ship Wiki's take on Explorer of the Seas
Explorer of the Seas is the second of Royal Caribbean's four Voyager-class ships, delivered from Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Turku in 2000. The one decision that explains her is not the ice rink or the Royal Promenade, which she shares with her sisters. It is the working science laboratory built into her hull. Royal Caribbean partnered with the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School to install oceanographic and atmospheric instruments aboard, including hull-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers measuring subsurface currents, alongside two Eco-Learning Centres where passengers could see live data. Scientists sailed with her and gave lectures. More than 90,000 guests toured the labs between 2000 and 2007, when the staffed programme ended; automated instruments took over from 2008 and the partnership later moved to other ships. No other mainstream cruise ship has carried anything quite like it. None of it is visible today. Through summer 2026 she runs seven-night Eastern Mediterranean round trips from Ravenna. From November 2026 she shifts to Port Canaveral for Caribbean sailings of four to nine nights.
What she does well is breadth. The Royal Promenade is a genuinely useful spine, with Cafe Promenade for late-night sandwiches and the Schooner Bar for piano and a quiet drink. Studio B still hosts the ice show, one of the better things Royal Caribbean does at sea. Above deck are the FlowRider, added in 2015 in place of the inline skating rink, the Perfect Storm slides Typhoon and Cyclone, and the rock climbing wall. The adults-only Solarium is the quietest daytime space aboard. Paid dining covers Chops Grille, Giovanni's Table, Izumi and Johnny Rockets.
The criticism is age, and it is fair. A 110 million dollar Amplified refit was announced in 2019 and shelved during the pandemic, and it has never been carried out. Her September 2025 drydock at Cadiz was maintenance, hotel upgrades and hull work rather than transformation. Cruise Critic's editors rate her 4.5 out of 5 while noting the ship looks old and worn and needs more than surface updates. At around 4,290 passengers at full occupancy, lifts and buffet queues can bite.
She suits families wanting plenty of included activity for a modest fare, and anyone who values the older Voyager layout. She does not suit people expecting Oasis or Icon-class scale, travellers who want a balcony as standard, or those who will notice tired fittings.
That matters most for cabins. Interior Promenade-view rooms are a real novelty and genuinely cheap, but they sit above a busy street that runs parades and late music, and the glass does little for noise. Cabins directly beneath the pool deck catch scraping deckchairs from early morning. Rooms forward and low, near Studio B, sit close to rink plant and event traffic. Our per-cabin quiet and convenience scores are not yet published for this ship. We are still mapping her venues, so treat the above as guidance rather than measurement.
Open the deck plan and look at what sits above and below the room before you book.
Sources
This is Cruise Ship Wiki's own editorial summary of published reviews and reference sources. It is not a guest review and does not describe a stay aboard. Member reviews appear separately below.
Photo: Jack Adamenko, Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Explorer of the Seas is the second ship of Royal Caribbean International's Voyager class, built by Kvaerner Masa-Yards at Turku, Finland, and entering service in 2000. Costing approximately US$500 million, she shared the class's groundbreaking template: a roughly 138,000-gross-ton hull stretching some 311 metres, home to about 3,100 guests, and organized around the four-deck Royal Promenade, a full-size ice-skating rink, and the trademark rock-climbing wall scaling the aft funnel.
What set Explorer apart from her sisters was a genuine commitment to science. For much of her early career she carried an atmospheric and oceanographic laboratory operated in partnership with the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School, allowing researchers to gather data on ocean and air conditions as the ship sailed her commercial routes, a rare marriage of vacation cruising and working scientific instrumentation.
The ship was christened by American track-and-field legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee, a multiple Olympic gold medalist and one of the greatest athletes in the history of the heptathlon and long jump, echoing the sporty character of the class. Explorer of the Seas is registered at Nassau in the Bahamas and carries the call sign C6SE4.
Explorer has ranged widely over her career, sailing from a variety of North American and European homeports. A later Royal Amplified refit brought modern touches including The Perfect Storm waterslides and updated public rooms, keeping her competitive alongside newer tonnage. In recent seasons she has divided her time between Mediterranean summers and Caribbean sailings, with Port Canaveral, Florida, serving as a home base. More than two decades after her debut, Explorer of the Seas remains in active service, a durable example of the class that first proved guests would embrace a ship large enough to be a destination in itself.
Three things only CruiseShipWiki does
Onboard Highlights
Signature attractions, dining, bars and entertainment aboard Explorer of the Seas.
Top attractions
- FlowRider
A 40-foot-long surf simulator with 30,000 gallons of rushing water for surfing and boogie-boarding. - Ice Skating Rink
The only ice skating rink at sea, available for all skill levels. - The Perfect Storm
Twin waterslides Typhoon and Cyclone offering the boldest waterslides at sea. - Mini Golf
Deckside mini golf with stunning sea views. - Solarium
Adults-only pool area featuring endless sea views and serenity.
Specialty dining
- Izumi
A specialty restaurant featuring fresh sashimi, hand-rolled sushi, and Asian-inspired entrees prepared by a master chef at your table. - Chops Grille
A hallmark Royal Caribbean steakhouse presenting quality, hand-cut prime steaks.
Bars and lounges
- R Bar
A sleek and sophisticated lounge inspired by 1950s and 1960s drinking dens, serving classic cocktails. - Crown & Kettle Pub
A London-themed pub with an impressive beer selection and regular live musical performances.
Entertainment
- Invitation to Dance
An interactive world-class production featuring dancing.
Where She Sails
Ports of call on Explorer of the Seas itineraries, with a signature highlight at each.
Specifications
| Status | In service |
|---|---|
| Entered service | 2000 |
| Cruise line | Royal Caribbean International |
| Class | Voyager class |
| Gross tonnage | 137,308 GT |
| Guests (double occupancy) | 3,114 |
| Guests (maximum) | 3,938 |
| Crew | 1,180 |
| Est. annual guests | ≈ 165,000 / year (estimated) |
| Length | 311.1 m (1,021 ft) |
| Beam | 38.6 m (127 ft) moulded |
| Draught | 8.6 m (28 ft) |
| Decks | 15 |
| Staterooms | 1,643 |
| Shipyard | Kvaerner Masa-Yards (Turku, Finland) |
| Build cost | ≈ US$500 million |
| Christened by | Jackie Joyner-Kersee |
| Flag | Bahamas |
| Port of registry | Nassau, Bahamas |
| IMO number | 9161728 |
| Call sign | C6SE4 |
| Home port | Port Canaveral, Florida |
| Region | Mediterranean |
About the Voyager class
Revolutionary ships that introduced the Royal Promenade, ice rink, and rock-climbing wall.
Ownership & loyalty
Part of Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL).
Sister brands: Celebrity Cruises, Silversea Cruises, TUI Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.
Loyalty status match - members keep an equivalent tier across the group's brands:
- Crown & Anchor Society (Royal Caribbean International) ↔ Captain's Club (Celebrity Cruises)
One-for-one tier status match across Royal Caribbean Group brands: Gold <-> Classic, Platinum/Emerald <-> Select, Diamond <-> Elite, Diamond Plus <-> Elite Plus, Pinnacle Club <-> Zenith. - Crown & Anchor Society (Royal Caribbean International) ↔ Venetian Society (Silversea Cruises)
One-for-one status match with Silversea Venetian Society: Gold <-> 1 day, Platinum/Emerald <-> 100 days, Diamond <-> 250 days, Diamond Plus <-> 350 days, Pinnacle Club <-> 500 days.
References
Descriptions on Cruise Ship Wiki are original write-ups paraphrased from public sources; facts are compiled from the references below and cross-checked. How we source our information.
- Photograph by Jack Adamenko (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons - Primary ship photograph