Dining on Board Explorer of the Seas

“Explorer of the Seas” from Royal Caribbean, offers some fantastic dining options. The formal dining room here is spread out over three levels. It also offers one of the most affordable dining options across all cruise ships. It looks stunning too. There is the grand staircase, the gold-leaf columns, the ceiling dome through which the sun’s rays bursts through. The golden velvet curtains add to the charms as well. You can sit in any level you want – they are all decorated to the theme of a legendary explorer – Da Gama, Christopher Columbus and Magellan. You will find mosaics on the walls that depict their legendary journeys.

Dining Room

Royal Caribbean is not a gourmet dining cruise, but the food you will find here is still extremely well prepared. There are plenty of healthy options for you to choose from, such as the grilled sea bass dipped in ginger lemon sauce, and there are vegetarian preparations as well like the veggie chili. You will also find Indian veggie dishes in the menu. There is also the black angus top sirloin, chicken breast, Atlantic cod and more.

You are sure to love the salad bar. The chef, will custom make your salad according to your preferences. You may choose from all types of cheese, meats and vegetables. Of course, a lot of attention is given to keep everything fresh. You may go for the Brasserie30 option as well, where you can select from two menu options. It is a quickie before you head off to the pool or some other activity on board the Explorer of the Seas.

Schooner Bar

The Windjammer Café is the buffet restaurant here that serves lunch and breakfast. You will want to check out the egg station here during the breakfast. The Windjammer serves excellent baked items too. The Euro-Italian Portofino restaurant that sits 88 people is an intimate affair. Both the cuisine and the service are quite exceptional here. Go through the Italian delicacies, the pastas and the Caprese salad here. But remember, you must book early, as this is a reservation preferred restaurant. However, on the first night of the cruise, you might still find a few seats if you walk-in. It tends to get busier later. The peak hours are usually between 7 and 8:30 in the evening. If you don’t book early, you might have to dine later or earlier. Portofino will charge you a $20 surcharge.

Here’s something you should never miss. Check out Johnny Rocket, which has been decorated to the theme of the 1950’s. Most people on board prefer to have their lunch here. You will love the onion rings and the burgers they serve. There is a song-and-dance performance as well.

Windjammer Cafe

Explorer of the Seas offers 24-hour room service as well. So, you can order from a variety of sandwiches or snacks from your suite or cabin. There is no room service charge between 5 in the morning to midnight. But, you are expected to pay the tip. For late night orders, you have to pay a fee of $3.95.

You do not have to miss out on the big game, just because you are cruising. Just head to the Weekend Warrior Sports Bar. Get a beer and watch all the action at the sports bar.

You will certainly appreciate a nautical themed décor when you are on the sea. Explorer of the Seas offers the Schooner Bar. This is a signature bar, and a great favorite among the guests. There’s piano singing every evening too.

Cruising with Kids

A cruise vacation is a fantastic option, no matter how you want to do it. But, it could be particularly special if you are sailing with kids. You can be sure that the kids are going to love you for taking them on the ship. They will be all excited and run along the decks, as you just sit back in the recliner, take a dip into the pool or head to the gym. The cruise vacation will remain in their memory for a really long time, perhaps, for ever. I went on my first cruise when I was just 12 years old, and still have those fond memories of standing on the deck and watching the blue waters of the sea, and the fish swim by the ship. I remember my father as he stood by me, with his hand on my shoulder. It was fantastic!

But, do remember a few things when you are selecting a cruise where you want to take your kids along. Remember, not all cruises are good for kids. For instance, you cannot of course take your child or infant on a ship that travels all the way to Antarctica – it might simply be too cold. And, if you are going on a month-long cruise, it might be a better idea to leave them back with the granny. A full month away from home and their friends might be too much for most kids.

And remember one more thing. Kids get bored easily, and so, no matter how beautiful it is, they cannot just look at the sea at all times. So, the ship you select should offer some interesting activities too. The kids are definitely going to love them. There are so many activities and shows to choose from that your little one can never get bored. Remember, there are hardly any activities or shows on cruises that travels the Nile River in Egypt. These ships must be narrow, as two of them must pass each other through the channel. With the cabins, restaurants and the machine rooms, these ships simply cannot include them.

So, what is the Right Cruise for a Kid?

Select a cruise that is anything between 7 and 10 days, 2 weeks maximum. If you are located in the United States, then you can pick one that travels to the Caribbean islands. The islands here are close to each other, and so, the travel time is never long. The beauty is stunning, and there are plenty of shore excursions. Some of the most modern vessels travel to the Caribbean waters. You can thus expect to find all the amenities and facilities on board.

If you are in Europe, then you can try one of the Mediterranean cruises. Your ship may touch various ports, such as, Barcelona, Marseilles, Naples, Malta, Monaco, the ports of Greece, and even those in Northern Africa. Or, you can also travel to Turkey and Crete.

If you are a history buff, then one popular option might be to combine Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and a little bit of cruising, as you travel from one destination to the next. But, such a program will take at least 3 weeks. So, it is best to leave it for the future, when your kids have grown up a little.

Unexplained Mysteries of Ghost Ships

Here are some really eerie stories of the most famous ghost ships. The fact is, no one really knows what happened to these ships. But the circumstances are truly strange. Happy reading.

Mary Celeste (last sighting in November 1872)

The ship was carrying its shipment of alcohol to Italy, and was missing for a month. There was a lot of talk in town as everybody wondered what happened to it. Then all of a sudden it was discovered drifting away on its own in perfect condition with the cargo, and even the personal belongings of the crew to the last detail. But not a single person was on board, dead or alive.

Further investigations revealed some uncanny facts. It was discovered that the ship’s original name was Amazon, and the name was changed because everybody thought that it was haunted.

Over the years, as many as three captains have died while they were on board, and two others had made unexplainable errors that led to serious consequences. When it was in the shipyard, it suddenly for no apparent reason caught fire. There were many other near-disasters too, and so, it was sold off and renamed.

The owner became desperate to destroy the ship. Several attempts were made to sink it – but Mary Celeste simply refused to sink.

Carroll A. Deering (last sighting in January 1921)

The captain of the ship, William H. Merritt, suddenly fell ill and disembarked, and was replaced by Wormell. McLellan became the first mate. But unfortunately, the new first mate and the captain had a big fight and the first mate had to be arrested. The crew turned against the captain.

The ships destination was Norfolk, but it never reached there. It was found just off the coast of North Carolina at Cape Hstteras without any crew, lifeboats or personal belongings. It seemed a simple case of mutiny. Some people however also suggested piracy or hurricanes.

The US government felt uncomfortable because several ships or their crew have disappeared without good reasons in this area that came to be known as the Bermuda Triangle. There are far too many instances to ignore, and in most of them, the traditional causes could not offer proper explanations.

As many as five investigations were initiated by the US government, but the government for some reason, never made public any of the findings.

MV Joyita (last sighting in October 1955)

Joyita was first used as a private yacht, and then in the World War II. It never had any problems. In the middle of the 1950’s, the ship began to be used as a cargo vessel to transport dried coconut in the islands of the South Pacific.

On this fateful journey, it was supposed to reach the Tokelau Islands, but it never reached there. Instead, Joyita was found 600 miles away – it was not supposed to be anywhere close to where it was found. The hull looked completely empty. There was just a break in the cable – that was the only sign of any destruction. Suspiciously, somebody had concealed this break by painting it.

Strangely, there were some medical equipment in a bag on the upper deck, and there were a few rags dipped in blood too. But there were no lifeboats.

There was a lot of speculation about what happened to the crew as not a single person was ever seen again, dead or alive. There was no explanation about why they left, even if there was an emergency, because a floating vessel was always more safe than a lifeboat. Some people said that there might have been piracy or a mutiny. But then, there were no bodies.

Baychimo (last sighting in 1969)

This one is really strange, and it seems that the ship has a mind of its own.

It was doomed from the very beginning, as several times, it was thought that the ship was not sea-worthy. However, each time, the ship proved the crew wrong. In 1931 it was stuck in ice, and the crew left the ship because it was supposed to be sinking. However magically, it somehow, on its own, wriggled out of the ice and started floating again. So the crew boarded it again.

On the same trip, it again got stuck in ice. Two incidents in the same trip are extremely rare. Half of the crew had to be airlifted, but the others stayed back, because they were certain about the ship’s magical abilities.

A few days later the ship was spotted with not a sign of life on board. The cargo was intact, but the remaining crew members had all mysteriously vanished. Till this day, there is no explanation.

The Baychimo was boarded many times after this, but each time, without exception, the crew had to leave because of sudden equipment failure, bad weather or other reasons.

Ultimately, the owners just decided to let the ship go. It was left empty at sea. But fantastically, the ship survived. It managed to somehow float on its own without any equipment on board, and withstood all the gales, ice, and rocks, and kept floating for an incredible 38 years.

It was last seen in 1969. There is no news of its destruction yet. No wrecks have ever been found. No modern navigation technology has been able to pick it up on the radar. So presumably, it is still drifting somewhere out there, all on its own.