21 Nights An Extended Journey to Renaissance Romance, Idyllic Greek Islands and Aromatic Markets Cruise

Loved Explora, especially the late nights in port

I loved our 2-week cruise, very impressed with the ship and would absolutely consider cruising again with Explora. The ship is beautiful, new and modern. The basic suites are spacious and very comfortable. There are plenty of electrical outlets, including both USB-A and USB-C as well as American and European outlets. We enjoyed the comfortable lounger on the balcony. The food is good, and I like that the buffet is not self-serve, so it's very hygenic. That said, it was my least favorite venue for dining and the one that seemed most like a typical cruise ship. I really loved breakfast at Fil Rouge, and having a choice of several dining options. I pre-booked a night at Sakura and at Marble, and found that we had no trouble getting a table for 2 whenever we showed up at Med Yacht Club or Fil Rouge, no reservations necessary. The ship felt very uncrowded, especially the first week of our two-week cruise. Hallways were quiet, elevators were very quick and mostly empty, dining venues were readily available. The only exceptions were (1) the buffet, which was usually buzzing with people, (2) pool loungers in prime locations got filled early, and (3) the self-service laundry, with only 4 sets of washers/dryers for the entire ship, takes some diligence to snag a machine (though if you're doing a back-to-back, it's easy the night before or morning of changeover.) My favorite thing about Explora is that they stay late in port almost every night - departure was scheduled for 8, 9 or 10pm most nights. This allowed us to enjoy a few dinners ashore, and makes it easy to enjoy the port, without rushing to get back on board. If you book an excursion, you still have time to wander on your own afterward. This is a significant distinguishing factor from other cruise lines, and aside from all the other things I loved about Explora, would be a primary reason for me to travel with them again.

Great Trip-Attention to need for Gluten-Free Meals

What a wonderful cruise! We have been on 5 cruises and this was our favorite. The cabin was spacious with plenty of storage, and the bathroom was on par with any business hotel bath. The ship was beautifully and comfortably appointed. The staff were attentive to the nth degree, and took great pains to ensure that my meals were enjoyable and completely gluten-free. Easiest and most well-organized embarkation and debarkation we have ever experienced. We would absolutely go on another Explora cruise if there is one going where we want to go. Note: Even though we were not able to put ashore at Mykonos, we enjoyed every single day. If you have other clients with special dietary needs, Explora is the cruise line to choose. (Note: I have also had an excellent experience with Uniworld, but they only do river cruises.) We were also very impressed with the measures in place to control any possible outbreak of viral disease: elegant basins IN THE DINING AREA for hand washing before meals, none of the guests can serve themselves – only staff can serve, hand sanitizer stations throughout the ship, staff discretely but frequently cleaning door knobs, elevator buttons and anything that is touched by dozens of hands. We felt very safe and had no concerns about our health while on board.

Great Experience on Explora 1 and Plan to Return!

Previously having sailed on Ritz Carlton, Seabourn and Silver Sea, I was worried that Explora would be too big, with too many people, but I was wrong. For me, it was perfect! Our Premier Penthouse was lovely, the food was excellent. We ate at Anthology, and it was lovely, but the food is so good in the other restaurants, you don't need to spend the extra money unless you just want something extra special. We were on a Mother/Daughter adventure, and there was more variety of ages on this cruise (not just "older" people my age!) The staff was exceptional, decorating our cabin to celebrate my birthday, always addressing us by name. We found the entertainment good, though reviews had said otherwise; we always had something to do! Loved the Chef's Kitchen Experience, the whirlpools, thermal area in the Spa. Our shore excursion was cancelled, so can't report! Do it all!