Explora Journeys Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 12: December 23, 2025

Day 12 and today Explora Journeys Explora I pulled into Fort-de-France, Martinique, which is yet another new-to-me port and one I’ve been looking forward to ever since our stop just a few days ago across the bay in Les Trois-Îlets. If you’ve been following along, you know that stop turned out to be a winner for me. A quaint little town, amazing beach, and even with the tender ride and all, it easily shot up near the top of my list of favorite Caribbean stops. Today’s visit is essentially the same island, same bay, but a completely different experience.  In so many ways!

Unlike Les Trois-Îlets, today there was no tendering involved. Explora I docked right in Fort-de-France, and if you look across the water you can literally see where we were last week. It’s always kind of wild how close these places are to each other geographically, yet how different they feel once you’re actually on land.

Fort-de-France is the capital of Martinique, which is an overseas department of France. And yes, that matters. This is France in the Caribbean. So there’s French laws, French culture, French bureaucracy, French pastries, and of course French attitude. Martinique isn’t an independent country, it’s fully part of France. The city sits along a large bay, which is why cruise ships dock here instead of anchoring offshore like they do on the opposite side of the water.

One thing cruisers really need to be aware of here is currency. This is a euro-only kind of place. Some shops might take U.S. dollars, but many won’t, and if they do, the exchange rate will not be in your favor. Credit cards are accepted, but last week, I did have trouble using an American Express card even though the store said they accepted it, so having euros on hand or a Visa/MasterCard just in case is a good idea.  If you’re wondering, “Scott, where can I get euros?”  Well, sometimes you can exchange currency onboard the ship.  Language-wise, French is primary. English is spoken in the tourists areas, but this is not one of those islands where everyone switches to English the moment they see a tourist.  That whole French thing again.

As for safety, Fort-de-France is generally safe during the day, especially in the areas near the port, shopping streets, markets, and parks. That said, like many of the smaller ports we visited during this cruise so far, this is a real city. People live and work here. It’s not a manufactured experience like our call at La Romana the other day.

One of the nice things about Fort-de-France is that it’s walkable right from the ship. Once you’re off the pier, you’re in town. Within an easy walk you’ve got La Savane Park, which is a large green space. There are covered markets selling spices, fruit, rum, and souvenirs, plenty of cafés and bakeries, and a mix of local shops and semi-familiar brands. This is an easy port to just wander, grab a pastry, sit for a bit, and not have to commit to a full excursion.

If you want to see more of the island beyond the city, that’s where excursions or taxis come into play. Popular options include trips north to Mount Pelée, rainforest and waterfall tours, rum distillery visits, and island highlight tours. You can absolutely grab a taxi outside the port and do a custom drive, just be very clear on pricing upfront and understand that distances here are longer than they appear on a map.

Beaches are another thing to consider. There is a beach within walking distance of the port, but let’s be honest, it’s poor at best.  If you want a really good beach day, you’ll need to travel outside the city by taxi or excursion.

Overall, Fort-de-France isn’t all that nice, and it’s definitely not a “step off the ship into paradise” stop. If you enjoy cities, culture, wandering, markets, and feeling like you’re somewhere real, this is a solid stop. If your ideal port day involves sand, a lounger, and zero thinking, you’ll want a plan before you leave the ship.

Wandering Around Fort-de-France

I headed ashore around 1pm with no plan other than to wander and see what Fort-de-France was all about. Once you’re off the ship, it’s a short walk down the pier to an open lot where the shore excursion meet and you can grab a taxis. And right away it hits you: this is not a cruise-port-for-tourists kind of place.

With Explora I being the only ship in port and only about 700 of us onboard, it was painfully obvious who was from the ship and who wasn’t. And spoiler alert… almost everyone wasn’t. You step out of the port and you’re immediately on a main street lined with shops and restaurants. Hang a left and you’re straight into downtown, where it’s street after street and alley after alley of locals buying, selling, hustling, living. Streets are narrow, sidewalks barely exist, and some of the storefronts make you wonder how they’ve managed to stay open this long.

That said, if you need something, it’s probably there. Bakeries, pastry shops, random cafés, little markets, clothing stores, and yes… a McDonald’s with a walk-up window. And because the Caribbean would collapse without it, there’s also a KFC. I wandered around taking it all in, popped into a old, beautiful church to peek inside, and the second I stepped back out the church bells started ringing. For about half a second I thought I was about to be struck by lightning for entering a church, but thankfully it was just the 1:45pm bell and not divine retribution.

There is some interesting architecture if you look closely, but a lot of it is run down and tired. And just to really set the tone, while I was streaming live on Facebook, I casually walked past a guy peeing on the sidewalk. So yeah… this is not the polished Caribbean you see in brochures. This is raw and unapologetic.

After that loop, I headed back toward the port and went the other direction. That leads to a large park area along the water that’s probably meant for nighttime use, with food and drink stalls set up. During the day, though, it was mostly dead, with maybe one or two vendors open. Across the street from there is the “beach.” And when I say beach, I mean a small strip of sand where locals hang out. A few people were sunbathing, completely unfazed by a naked homeless guy showering at one of the beach rinses while school kids were nearby. Nobody cared. Nobody reacted. Just another Tuesday in Fort-de-France.

That little stretch of sand sits near Fort Saint-Louis, which you see from the port and also as you enter the harbor. The fort dates back to the 1600s and played a role in Martinique’s military history. Today it’s an active French naval base, which explains why it was locked down tight. There are signs advertising tours, but between the gates and the overall “absolutely not” vibe, that wasn’t happening. It’s one of those places that sounds interesting to visit but doesn’t really pan out when you’re actually standing there.

I kept wandering and eventually ended up behind a hotel and apartment complex near the pier, where things were quieter and I could just sit by the water away from people for a bit. All in, I spent a few hours ashore. While there are definitely neighborhoods here I wouldn’t want to be in after dark, during the day I never felt unsafe. No one harassed me. No one tried to sell me anything. Shopkeepers didn’t pull the “come inside my friend” routine. It was honestly pretty chill… just not in a pretty kind of way.

If you’re visiting Martinique and doing both Fort-de-France and Les Trois-Îlets like I did, here’s my take. Les Trois-Îlets is where you wander on your own and make it a beach day. Fort-de-France is where you book a shore excursion or grab a taxi and go somewhere else. There just isn’t a whole lot in town that makes wandering aimlessly a must unless you genuinely enjoy seeing everyday life, poverty and all, right up close.

Fort-de-France, Martinique Walk Around Video

Casino Rudeness & Dinner at Fil Rouge on Explora Journeys

All aboard tonight was 6:30pm with a scheduled 7pm departure, and… we actually left early. The gangway was pulled in well before all-aboard time because everyone who was going ashore was already back, and before you knew it we were easing away from the pier a little ahead of schedule.

Before heading to dinner, I stopped by the casino for a bit. And calling it a “casino” on Explora is being generous. It’s really more of a room with three tables and a handful of slot machines. On the last segment of the cruise it was basically a ghost town. This segment? Totally different vibe. Slots still aren’t getting much love, but the tables absolutely are.  Check out the casino tour video below:

While I was playing, the lone blackjack table was packed and a group of very loud, very obnoxious guys were aggressively pressuring the host to switch the empty poker table over to blackjack so they could play. Credit to the host, he wasn’t backing down. Unfortunately, neither were they. When a guy actually sat down to play poker, they started harassing him too, trying to get him to go along with the demand. It was uncomfortable and honestly just trashy. So I did what I do in those situations: I upped my bets, burned through what I had in the machine, and got out of there.

I say this a lot, but it continues to be true. Money can’t buy class. And it takes a very special kind of crew member to put up with that nonsense night after night. I wouldn’t have the patience.

After escaping the casino, I stopped by the Lobby Bar for a cocktail before heading to dinner at… wait for it… Fil Rouge. Yes, something different. Ferdinand, who’s served me there twice before and who I see just about every morning in the Emporium Marketplace, has been asking me when I was coming back. I kind of gave up on both Fil Rouge and Med Yacht Club after that Med dinner I walked out of earlier in the cruise. Since then it’s been Marble & Company most nights. But I figured I’d give Fil Rouge another go and pay Ferdinand a visit.

Fil Rouge is one of the two restaurants onboard, along with Med Yacht Club, that doesn’t require a reservation. Think of it as the main dining room equivalent, except the menus don’t rotate. Instead, they add a featured appetizer or entrée each evening alongside the regular menu.

I started with the Tartare de bœuf à la Niçoise with crispy socca. I’d had this one before and it was just as good this time around. A nice portion of flavorful, roughly chopped beef with great seasoning. Solid choice.

Next up was the Tataki de thon rouge, sauce vierge. Bluefin tuna tataki over a crispy tomato-tapenade tart with a bright, flavorful sauce. This was excellent. The sauce really made the dish and brought the tuna to life.

For the main course, Ferdinand recommended a pairing, and I trusted him. Onglet de bœuf, a hanger steak cooked medium rare, alongside Langouste Thermidor. Rock lobster tail with sautéed mushrooms, parmesan, and a mustard cream sauce. It normally comes with pilaf rice, which I subbed for a side of Pietro Massi calamarata pasta. The pairing worked perfectly. The steak had a nice char and was cooked exactly right, and the lobster had chunks of meat in a rich, creamy sauce.

When dessert time rolled around, Ferdinand wasn’t taking no for an answer. “You haven’t had dessert here either time before,” he said. “Tonight, you’re having the soufflé.” And honestly, who am I to argue? He brought over an orange soufflé that was rich, sweet, and a perfect way to end the meal.

We’re sailing toward our next port of call. One that is definitely not cracking my personal top ten… St. John’s, Antigua. Explora I is scheduled to arrive at 8am, so more on that thrilling adventure tomorrow.

Until then, as always, thanks for following along.

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