Explorer OTS Days 7-13 - At Sea

 

It is true . . . when you are on a cruise ship it is easy to lose track of the days.  Nice that most of the Royal Caribbean fleet have these carpets in their elevators.  Even still, some mornings you wake up and just aren't sure what day it is!

With 7 days crossing the Atlantic Ocean, many (myself included) wonder how to keep from getting bored.  The truth is, the ship's crew does an incredible job providing activities and entertainment from from about mid-morning until late at night.

With it being Halloween week at sea, there were several craft sessions planned.  The 3 that I remember were Halloween Origami (we made ghosts); Halloween lanterns and Halloween post cards.  The activities are as much about keeping people busy as it is creating opportunities to connect with others on the ship.

There were other arts & crafts activities throughout the week, but I didn't participate in them.

Another big thing, especially on the long transatlantic and transpacific cruises is the game room.  On Explorer of the Seas there were areas designated for pick up card games, as well as board games.  Prior to our trip, there were also private groups being formed to play games I had never heard of (like mahjong).

All of the usual trivia and exercise sessions can be found throughout the day on the ship.  I loved the enthusiasm of the guy on the upper deck working out poolside.

I previously mentioned the special speaker series that took place during our sea days.  I really looked forward to each of the sessions, as they were educational and entertaining.

For folks who want or need more organized or structured get togethers, Royal Caribbean also does a nice job in being inclusive in their social gatherings.  Friends of Bill and the LGBTQ community are provided a time and place to connect and meet with like minded folks.  Solo/single cruisers and those seeking worship opportunities can also fulfill their needs.  Catholic mass was conducted daily each morning.

During the sea days was a good time for the captain and his crew to be out and about with guests.  There were several social events as well as interactive sessions where we could learn more about the ship's operations and how the crew goes about their daily lives away from home for months at a time.

Captain Anton (seated left in this photo) was especially informative and yet very engaging, with a wonderful sense of humor.  When talking about Hurricane Melissa and the change of course necessary to avoid her path, I felt a real sense of calm as he shared the process to assure the ship was safe and that the passengers would be as comfortable as possible through our transatlantic journey.

I know there were many activities that were available but didn't interest me.  To be honest, there were some days when I just enjoyed some quiet "me time" in my lovely ocean view cabin.  In the past, Pam & I have mostly cruised in interior rooms.  For this long sailing, I was happy to have the serene view of the sea.  Interior cabins are fine (and more affordable) when you're not spending a lot of time there or not wanting daylight when trying to sleep in.

With the Packers playing late on a Sunday night, I was hoping to watch the game live on the ship's satellite TV, especially since the nationally televised games earlier in the day had been on.  Unfortunately, staying up until 11:30pm to watch the game was a waste of time.  Lucky for me, it was on however, on tape delay, when I woke up the next morning.  Too bad the results scrolled across the screen during the replay.  I had a good laugh, and enjoyed watching anyway.

About the satellite TV . . . there were about 30 channels, many of which were Royal Caribbean specific programming.  The best was the channel where Capt. Anton provided navigational updates as we crossed the Atlantic Ocean.  I discovered a series of sports shows produced by ESPN+.   "Man in the Arena: Tom Brady" had 10 episodes..  There were more docu-series on other athletes including Serena Williams, Derek Jeter and Bill Walton.  I found all to be very interesting, especially since they ran on a continuous loop through the 13 day cruise.  I think I was able to watch all of the episodes of each of mini-series broadcast on the ship, just in a pretty random order based on when I was in my cabin . . . waking up enjoying room service . . . getting dressed to go out for the evening . . . winding down for bedtime.

For cruisers who want a more active experience on the ship, there are plenty of options beyond the daily exercise classes.  There is a small fitness room with equipment and of course the swimming pool (although on this trip, it was a challenge to swim laps with the water sloshing out of the pool).  On the 13th deck, there's a rock climbing wall, flow rider surf pool, sports deck and mini-golf.  Several days there were scheduled soccer and pickleball play times for those looking for a little friendly competition.

Perhaps my favorite "at sea" activity was day drinking and gambling in the casino!  We didn't do it often, but when we did, it was an entirely different vibe than nighttime casinoing.  I love being Prime in the casino because when it's open, Prime (and above) members drink for free . . . AND you don't even have to be playing to enjoy this benefit.

More about my casino time next blog post!