Photo by tPFmariah9999

Photo by Xiomara Amaro

Royal Caribbean has announced the Winter 2013-2014 itineraries for Explorer of the Seas.  Explorer of the Seas will continue sailing out of Cape Liberty, New Jersey where it is home ported throughout the year.

Explorer of the Seas will begin with an 11-night Southern Caribbean cruise, departing Nov. 3, 2013, which calls at San Juan, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Antigua and St. Kitts. Vacationers also can choose a range of nine- or 10-night itineraries that take guests to three paradisiacal Eastern Caribbean ports, plus Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private beach destination on the north coast of Haiti. Eastern Caribbean ports include San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, St. Kitts and Samana in the Dominican Republic.

In addition, passengers can choose to cruise on 7-night cruises to the Bahamas, with stops at Nassau, Bahamas; Port Canaveral, Fla.; and Royal Caribbean’s private island CocoCay. The Dec. 22 and 29 departure will see guests celebrating Christmas and New Year’s Day, respectively, at Nassau; while the Mar. 21, 2014 sailing will offer guests an eighth night at sea.

In April 2014, Explorer of the Seas will offer a pair of five-night Bermuda and nine-night Bermuda and Caribbean itineraries. The shorter sailing features an overnight at Kings Wharf, while the longer itinerary calls at Kings Wharf, St. Maarten, San Juan and Labadee.

Royal Caribbean has announced the summer and fall 2013 itineraries for Explorer of the Seas.  During both seasons, Explorer of the Seas will undertake 30 cruises to 17 different ports of call based on 7 itineraries.

From April to October 2013, Explorer of the Seas will sail out of New York City to Bermuda, the Caribbean, Canada and New England.

Explorer will remained in her home port of Cape Liberty, New Jersey. 

From April through August 2012, Explorer of the Seas will alternate five-night Bermuda and nine-night Bermuda & Caribbean itineraries. The five-night itinerary will feature an overnight at Kings Wharf, Bermuda, while the nine-night sailing calls at Kings Wharf; St. Maarten; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private destination on the north coast of Haiti. From September through October, vacationers can choose a seven-night Bermuda itinerary, which features three days and two nights at Kings Wharf.

Explorer of the Seas will also offer vacationers a Canada and New England sailing to catch the arrival of autumn and the changing of the leaves. Departing Aug. 31, guests will call at Boston, Mass.; Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine; Saint John, New Brunswick; and Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas will return to Bayonne, New Jersey one day late due to an onboard medical emergency.  Royal Caribbean expects Explorer of the Seas to return on Saturday, January 28 now after a passenger required medical attention.

Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez issued this statement, "The guest was initially treated in our medical facility, but required additional and urgent medical attention that could only be provided in a hospital," read the statement. Explorer, which is equipped with a helipad, has re-charted a course for San Juan, Puerto Rico, the closest port of call. A helicopter will meet the ship when it gets within 70 miles of San Juan. Estimated time is 5:35 p.m. local time."

"We will be assisting both the guests currently onboard and those boarding on Saturday, but do not have details at this time," said Martinez. "We wanted to put the notice on our website and on social media as soon as possible, to let affected guests know in advance." Additional information on the revised itinerary will be provided to passengers on Saturday at embarkation.

Passengers that were expecting to depart on Explorer of the Seas' next cruise on Friday are now asked to not arrive at port until 2pm on Saturday.

A passenger aboard Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas had to be medically evacuated yesterday after she experienced symptoms of appendicitis.

The incident occurred on December 12 approximately 130 miles southwest of Key West, Florida as the ship was making her way back to Port Everglades, Florida.  A United States Coast Guard helicoper hoisted the woman off the ship and brought her to the Lower Keys Medical Center.

Photo by Kimberly

Royal Caribbean announced that Explorer of the Seas will depart Cape Liberty, Bayonne, NJ earlier than expected this weekend.  The Saturday, August 27 sailing will depart at 4pm EST, one hour earlier than originally scheduled.

All guests are asked to arrive at the pier no later than 3:00pm EST.

The change is due to the impending arrival of hurricane Irene and Royal Caribbean wants to get the ship out of the path of the storm.  No other changes have been announced but Royal Caribbean is monitoring the situation.

Royal Caribbean is planning a spending spree to upgrade its fleet of cruise ships over the next three years to help keeps its older ships competitive in the cruise market.  

This $300 million revitalization called "Royal Advantage", will allow most of its Vision, Voyager and Radiance class vessels to get a series of upgrades including

• Restaurants from Oasis Class of ships
  • Chops Grille steakhouse
  • Rita's Cantina Mexican restaurants
  • Izumi Restaurant (sushi)
  • Chops Grille (Steak house)
  • Park Café (sandwiches and salads)
  • Boardwalk Doghouse (brats and wieners)
• New cabin designs
• Royal Babies and Tots Nursery
• Wi-fi throughout ship
• Digital Wayfinding Systems
• Oversized LED video screens on pool decks

There's more planned but no details are available quite yet.  These changes sound quite similar to the changes that have already been made to ships such as Radiance of the Seas mostly recently.

These overhauls will require each ship to enter into a lengthy drydock process where the ship will get its upgrades.  The schedule of upgrades are as follows

1. Splendour of the Seas - November 2011
2. Rhapsody of the Seas - March 2012
3. Grandeur of the Seas - May 2012
4. Serenade of the Seas - November 2012
5. Legend of the Seas - 2013 or 2014
6. Vision of the Seas - 2013 or 2014
7. Navigator of the Seas - 2013 or 2014
8. Voyager of the Seas - 2013 or 2014
9. Explorer of the Seas - 2013 or 2014
10. Adventure of the Seas - 2013 or 2014
11. Brilliance of the Seas - 2013 or 2014

We know that the overhaul for Splendour, Grandeur and Serenade of the Seas will take place in Cadiz, Spain after Royal Caribbean signed a deal to have those ships rehauled there last month.

Royal Caribbean also mentioned that Independence of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas will receive smaller, less significant upgrades.

Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein is excited about the changes that will help keep the cruise line competitive, "The Royal Advantage revitalizations takes many of the best features that we have created in recent years and introduces them across our fleet, offering our guests enhanced vacation choices around the world."

A 51 year old woman from the United States died yesterday after suffering complications related to a pre-existing heart condition while on a diving excursion in Bermuda.

The woman was traveling on Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas when the ship stopped in Bermuda on a tour with Hartley's Bell Diving.  She had come back to the surface after a helmet dive, which is a passive form of diving in shallow water where divers wear an airtight helmet to view underwater, and complained about being short of breath.

Excursion staff gave her oxygen and called for EMTs to attend to her.

Staff gave her oxygen and called Harbour Radio, who arranged for EMTs to meet the boat at Sandy's Boat Club.  When the EMT's arrived, they attended to her but she lost consciousness and later passed away at the King Edward VII Hospital in Bermuda.