Writer Rob Lovitt based this independent review on his 7-night Western Caribbean cruise departing from Miami, Florida.

Stroll Explorer of the Seas’s Royal Promenade and you may get the idea you’re in an upscale urban mall. Hit the sports deck, where a rock-climbing wall rises above a mini-golf course and inline skating track, and you’ll think cutting-edge rec center. From morning workouts to midnight buffets, from pool games to ice shows, this megaship keeps her 3,100-plus passengers entertained around the clock. Her tropical destinations, of course, are lovely, but for many, Explorer is a destination in itself.

Heard on the deck (from a woman strolling among the shops and cafés along the Royal Promenade): “Wow, it looks just like New York New York in Las Vegas.”

Why Explorer of the Seas?

• Welcome aboard: Hop-to-it stewards are eager to please, servers always offer smiles (whether they’re on duty or off), and everyone from the captain to the room-service crew seems genuinely glad you’re onboard.
• Play all day: If the 30-foot climbing wall, inline skating track, and challenging mini-golf course don’t wear you out, there’s always indoor ice skating or scuba in the pool.
• Nonstop nights: Midnight buffets, themed parties, parades on the Royal Promenade, an ice-skating show that has to be seen to be believed -- hey, you can sleep when you get home.

Who should go
Veteran cruisers looking for new twists on traditional cruising and first-timers seeking a patient staff will find both on this ship. Passengers span the globe, with middle-class families from across the U.S. and Canada mingling with a regular United Nations of international travelers. (Note the five-language PA announcements.) The wealth of recreational facilities makes Explorer a good choice for families with young kids and older couples who are still young at heart.

Who shouldn’t go
Although Explorer offers regular singles activities, the couple/family focus can make it hard for solo travelers to find like-minded passengers. Likewise, guests seeking a less busy experience may feel pressured to participate in the overwhelming number of events, or find themselves lost in the herd among the 3,100-plus passengers.

Hits and misses

• Don’t miss: The Planet Ice skating production is part Ice Capades, part Cirque du Soleil, and almost as breathtaking as the Olympics. (Tip: Sit in the front row.)
• Best part of the ship: The Royal Promenade comes alive daily with parades, street performers, and passengers mingling amid the cafés, shops, and bars.
• Best experience: Making par on the mini-golf course is fun, and conquering the climbing wall is a kick, but ice skating at sea? How cool is that? (Answer: Very.)
• Best shipboard activities: The Quest, the ship’s adult-oriented scavenger hunt, is a riot of swapped clothing and silly stunts. (Tip: Bring an extra bra or two.)
• Needs improvement: The shore excursions desk is understaffed and overworked, resulting in long lines and short tempers.
• Activities to skip: Passengers participating in the country line-dancing class tend to be rather rhythmically challenged. (Ditto for the guys in the sexy legs contest.)

How to meet the captain
The Royal Promenade is a stylish sea of people during the welcome aboard reception on the first formal night, when the captain makes himself available for handshakes and pictures. There are also smaller receptions for returning guests -- the more cruises under the belt, the more intimate the party -- and a captain’s table in the main dining room. True, he rarely eats there (if the big central table isn’t set, he’s not coming), but there’s no harm in asking the mâitre d’ if he’ll put you on the VIP list.

With a three-story main dining room, two specialty restaurants, and various buffets throughout the day (and night), it’s easy to eat well and eat often (even without the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream counter and the half-dozen frozen-yogurt machines). From burgers and shakes at a ’50s-style diner to bistro snacks and sweets at a “sidewalk” café, Explorer’s food satisfies more than it surprises, but it’s offered with a smile regardless of the venue or time of day.

Magellan, Da Gama, and Columbus
Seating up to 1,800 guests at a time, Explorer’s main dining room is big enough to warrant three names, although it’s really just one restaurant with three levels. Waiters weave amid the gold, fluted columns. Head waiters de-shell shrimp and lobster tails. Guests’ needs -- a sauce, a steak knife, a second lobster tail -- are filled almost before they’re expressed. The menus highlight simple dishes of meat, pasta, and seafood. Desserts are only fair, but the friendly service ultimately wins everyone over.

Windjammer Café/Island Grill
Located far aft on Deck 11, these adjacent restaurants offer a total of four buffet lines, shared menus for breakfast and lunch, and a smattering of specialty items like sushi, smoked salmon, and antipasti. Windjammer reopens daily for late-afternoon snacks (burgers, hot dogs, tacos, and more); Island Grill, for dinners with linen tablecloths and bar service. The evening buffet mirrors the menu in the main dining room, and the cooked-to-order stir fries are worth the five-minute wait.

Portofino
Step through the glass doors of this 20-table specialty restaurant, and presto, you’re transported to the Italian Riviera. The décor recalls a Tuscan palazzo. The wine list goes on for pages, and white-jacketed waiters serve the saltimbocca and shrimp risotto with a Continental flourish. Appetizers like the goat cheese soufflé are to die for, but save room for dessert. As the waiters like to say, “Order dessert tonight, because you’ll be thinking about it next week.” (Cover charge: $20).

Other dining options

• Johnny Rockets: Passengers can relive the '50s at this retro-style diner with two-fisted burgers, cherry cokes, and Oreo fudge sundaes. (Cover charge: $3.95. Beverages are extra.)
• Promenade Café: Light bites and sweet treats are offered 24 hours a day at this “sidewalk” café. Coffee drinks and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream are extra.
• Room service: During restaurant times, choose from select items from the main dining room menu. Light fare is available 24 hours a day. Order it by phone or interactive TV.

Best dining

• Dish: On the second formal night, hungry diners order the lobster/shrimp combination and the prime rib, having themselves a surf, surf, and turf.
• Dessert: The tiramisu at Portofino is served in a dark-chocolate cup; garnished with crushed, marinated berries; and delivered with a small, complimentary B-52.
• Restaurant: Innovative appetizers, richly sauced entrées, and the ship’s most decadent desserts -- no wonder the captain and senior staff often eat at Portofino.
• Food seminar: One or two passengers get to decorate chocolate rum cakes during the last-day cooking demo -- and everybody gets to sample the sweet (and potent) results.

How to…

• Get a table for two: With only 14 tables for two in the main dining room (out of more than 250), the odds aren’t good, so make your request when you book, unless you’re feeling lucky (see Tips below). Couples can dine alone any time at Portofino.
• Celebrate a birthday/anniversary: Head waiters are happy to coordinate singing waiters and a candle-topped dessert. In-cabin cakes and decorations can also be arranged (fees apply).
• Change seating: Make your request in the main dining room between 11:30 AM and 3:30 PM on the first day (or 10 AM to 1 PM on day 2). Times may vary so check your daily planner.
• Dress for formal night: Well-tailored pant suits and form-fitting gowns predominate among the women. Men favor dark suits over tuxedos by at least 10 to 1.
• Dress for casual night: Think capris and a comfortable top, or slacks and a polo shirt. Jeans are frowned upon, but hardly forbidden.

Tips:

• Although tables for two in the main dining room are extremely limited, the mâitre d’ tries to hold a few in reserve. If you want one, see him as soon as you board.
• If the buffet lines in Windjammer are out the door, walk right past them to those at Island Grill, which is generally less crowded.
• For a quick bite (usually with no line), hit the takeout window on the back side of Johnny Rockets (cover charges still apply).
• The mini jukeboxes in the booths at Johnny Rockets actually work. Ask your waiter for some nickels to keep things swinging.

Head to your cabin on the first day, and before long, a steward will likely knock on your door, eager to introduce himself and explain how the minibar, in-room safe, and multi-channel interactive TV work. He’ll point out the hair dryer, the ample closet space, and the bathroom (small, but practical), and all but insist you call with any questions or concerns. Only larger suites receive concierge service, but the pleasantly solicitous service is the same on every deck.

Cabins are moderately sized (160 square feet for inside cabins, 180-211 for oceanview or balcony cabins, and 277 and 381 for junior and grand suites, respectively). There are also several owner’s suites (and one royal suite) that border on the palatial, and three decks of “inside” cabins with bay windows and window seats overlooking the Royal Promenade. Nearly half of Explorer’s cabins have balconies, but note, they generally have at least one, and often two, steel walls, which some guests find claustrophobic.

Cabins for guests with disabilities
Guests give Explorer’s accessible cabins high marks for both quantity (26) and quality (roll-in bathrooms; plenty of handrails; and solid, low-angle ramps). Decks and hallways are nice and wide, and there are wheelchair-friendly bathrooms with power-assist doors near all major facilities. Other nice touches include mechanical lifts to the wedding chapel and a manual chair beside the main pool.

Tips:

• Suite guests receive priority check-in service. Look for the signs in the terminal.
• Cabin minibars utilize a pressure-sensitive inventory system: Remove a snack or beverage, and it’s automatically billed to your account.
• Promenade cabins offer a great view of the action on the Royal Promenade, but you’ll have to keep the shades drawn for any privacy. (They can also be a bit noisy.)
• Stern-facing cabins and suites on Deck 10 have large balconies and unobstructed views. Those on lower decks have similar balconies but views are through the ship’s superstructure.
• Keep close tabs on the pool towels provided in your cabin (one per person). Lost towels will set you back $20 each.

At 14 decks high and weighing in at 138,000 tons, this megaship is all about entertainment. It starts on the Royal Promenade, where a dozen shops, cafés, and bars offer the at-sea equivalent of an upscale urban mall. Live bands, street performers, and even regular parades add to the festive flavor. From there, passengers fan out to a dozen bars, a 1,360-seat theater, and a sprawling casino, strolling leisurely from one to the next in pursuit of bingo games, karaoke fame, and that big cash jackpot. Prefer more mental stimulation? There are scientific displays in the Aquarium Bar, a viewing area that overlooks the bridge, and even a pair of oceanographic labs that are open for daily tours. From cooking demos to dance classes, skating lessons to movie screenings, there’s always something happening on Explorer -- and plenty of enthusiastic passengers eager to give it all a whirl.

Bars, lounges, and casino
During the day, passengers sip frosty drinks at one of three pool bars; at night, they crowd the casino (with 16 tables and 300 slots), the Gothic-themed disco (mind the gargoyles), and the karaoke lounge. Other popular watering holes include the Champagne Bar for pre-dinner martinis, Crown & Kettle Pub for Guinness on tap, and Dizzy’s for late-night jazz. The quietest bar or lounge? The Weekend Warrior sports bar -- probably because passengers would rather participate in sports than watch them on TV.

Heard on the deck (from a woman watching dozens of golf balls roll, drop, and bounce their way through the kinetic sculpture in the 19th Hole bar): “Hey, it’s just like that Mousetrap game we used to play!”

Swimming pools
Where’s the party? On the main pool deck, where two pools, four hot tubs, and a Calypso band provide the backdrop for water volleyball games, belly flop and sexy legs contests, and late-night buffets. For a quieter experience, the “adult-only” Solarium pool (with two more hot tubs) is generally kid-free, perhaps because so many families are playing amid the shallow pools and twisting waterslide at Adventure Beach, which is nicely secluded far aft.

Shows
Hands down, the best show is Planet Ice, a rink-filling showcase of Olympic-caliber skating, Alice in Wonderland antics, and Cirque du Soleil acrobatics. (Held in Studio B, tickets are free, but must be picked up in advance.) As for the more traditional entertainment in the Palace Theatre, the two production shows (Fast Forward and History Repeating) could both use better sets and fresher choreography, but the headliner acts -- comedians, singers, and even ventriloquists -- are often surprisingly good.

Shore excursions
Explorer cruises typically offer 100 or more shore excursions, with popular options including off-road adventures, archaeological tours, and swimming with stingrays. The good news is that you can book them online up to 10 days before sailing or via interactive TV in your cabin once you’re onboard. The bad news is that you may need to as the lines at the shore-excursion desk can be excruciatingly long. All tours are 100 percent refundable up to 24 hours beforehand, and waitlists are available.

Weddings and vow renewals
Set beneath a stained-glass skylight on Deck 14, the semi-circular Skylight Chapel glows with romance. Then again, what could be more romantic than saying “I do” on a Caribbean beach? Both options are possible (license requirements vary by island), with all weddings being performed by local officiants (not the captain) while the ship is in port. Vow renewals are conducted by the ship’s social host, and like weddings, should be arranged before sailing.

Looking for…

• Quietest spot: Except for the faint clatter of Web surfers on the second floor, the library is, well, as quiet as a library -- and the books are available 24 hours a day.
• Liveliest spot: From early-morning joggers to mid-day games to late-afternoon sail-away parties, the main pool deck draws a lively crowd, from dawn to dusk.
• Most popular activity: Hit the links (mini-golf), the rink (ice skating), or the climbing wall, then catch the action (or perhaps a nap) poolside.
• Best view: The cantilevered windows in Dizzy’s Jazz Lounge overlook the two main pools, four jam-packed hot tubs, and several hundred square miles of ocean.
• Best show: The costumes are weird and whimsical and the sets are eclectic, but it’s the grace and athletic skill of the Planet Ice skaters that leave you breathless.
• Best drink: Sip a few Bahama Mamas (dark rum, coconut liqueur, and fruit juices) at the Dancing Under the Stars party, and suddenly that limbo bar starts looking downright doable.

Tips:

• The Champagne Bar is the only bar that serves happy-hour canapés -- but the bartenders only offer them if you ask.
• Check the back of your Planet Ice ticket for discounts on drinks and bingo cards.
• Located far forward, Deck 13 offers a quiet spot for secluded sunning, complete with glass barriers for good wind protection.
• When the shore excursion desk is closed, you can book excursions at the adjacent guest services desk (although staff there isn’t as knowledgeable).
• The ship is home to two oceanographic labs. Tours are free, but you have to sign up ahead of time. (The sign-up sheet is in the library.)
• At 50¢ per minute, Internet access is cheaper than many ships’. Even better, there’s no account activation fee.

Heard on the deck (from a 20-something guy noticing the Dungeons & Dragons décor in The Chamber, the ship’s medieval-themed disco): “Oooh, break out the whips and chains.”

Spa and salon
Seaweed wraps, hot stone massages, cellulite therapy, even teeth whitening -- the Explorer Day Spa offers everything short of nip/tuck. Couples, meanwhile, sign up for partner massage classes, special Romance Rituals (which entail slathering herbal mud on each other), and couples massages. Whether you’re getting a simple manicure or a three-course electro-algae detox treatment, the staff is so gracious that it’s easy to forgive the inevitable pitch for take-home products.

Heard on the deck (from an older man after his algae-based “Ionithermie” slimming treatment): “Well, they said I lost four inches, but that could just be water loss. I just know it feels good.”

Fitness areas
The gym is big -- 60-plus machines, an aerobics studio, a giant hot tub -- and usually busy, but the aft sports deck is where the real exercise action is. Full-size basketball court? Check. Nine-hole miniature golf course, complete with hills and hazards? Check. Take a spin on the inline skate track or ring the bell atop the climbing wall, and if you’re still standing, head to Studio B for ice skating or the poolside dive shop for a scuba certification class. Except for the scuba, it’s all free.

Tips:

• If you’re a serious runner, get on the jogging track early. By 8 AM, you’ll share it with up to 60 or 70 joggers, walkers, and caffeine-challenged wanderers.
• Participate in multiple ShipShape activities (exercise classes, daily walks, even bean-bag tosses), and you can earn points toward free merchandise.
• Most organized sports (volleyball, ping-pong tourneys, X Games) aren’t noted in the daily planner’s hourly listings, but rather under a separate “Sports Activities” section.

The shops along the Royal Promenade sell the usual duty-free goods, but also check out the racks near the dive shop (for T-shirts and snorkel gear) and the tables outside Windjammer (for fashion rings, Bijoux Terner scarves, and more). Most days, tables are also set up in the middle of the Royal Promenade (gold by the inch, designer watches, and 2-for-$20 T-shirts); on the last day, they’re mobbed by bargain hunters who’d fit right in at Filene’s Basement or Nordstrom Rack.

Tip: There’s a $9 surcharge if you buy liquor onboard and want to take it back to your cabin. The fee is waived on the last day of the cruise.

The Adventure Ocean children’s program offers age-appropriate activities for kids 3-5, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, and 15-17. Little ones love the mini-sized climbing wall in the children’s center, older kids crowd the teen disco and large video-game arcade, and everybody gets a kick out of the children’s circus parade and family talent show. Group dinners are provided in Johnny Rockets several times each cruise, and late-night slumber parties and in-cabin babysitting are available for a fee.

Tip: The ship recently began working with Fisher-Price toys to provide one-hour, parent-child play groups for families with kids aged 6-36 months. See the daily planner for times and places.

Explorer of the Seas offers 7-night cruises departing from Miami every Sunday. Itineraries alternate weekly between the Eastern Caribbean (Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Nassau) and the Western Caribbean (Belize City, Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Grand Cayman), leaving two sea days to explore the vast amenities onboard. During December 2005, 5-, 6-, and 10-night cruises offer variations on the itineraries (Western Caribbean only).

Tips:

• If you decide you need to disembark earlier than scheduled, you’ll find stacks of colored luggage tags (pegged to specific departure times) at the Guest Services desk.
• If the thought of disembarking at all is too painful, Bloody Marys are 2-for-1 at the Aquarium Bar on debarkation day.

Heard on the deck (from a woman commenting on the elevators’ day-of-the-week carpeting on the last full day of the cruise): “Oh, Saturday. How sad.”

• Cruise line - Royal Caribbean
• Ship name - Explorer of the Seas
• Type of cruise - Casual
• Total cabins - 1557
• Private balcony cabins - 757
• Decks - 14
• Total crew - 1176
• Passenger capacity - 3114
• Ship size - Large
• Officers nationality - Norwegian
• Year entered service - 2000
• Registry - Bahamas
• Ship length - 1020
• Tonnage - 142,000