Explora Journeys Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 13: December 24, 2025

Day 13 on Explora Journeys Explora I and… yep… it just happens to be Christmas Eve. And also day 13. Yikes. An unlucky number landing on an already questionable port of call. Honestly, kind of fitting.

Today we’re in St. John’s, Antigua – a port that nobody has ever said, “Wow, we’re so lucky we get to stop in St. John’s!” I’ll get into why in a minute, but first let’s talk about this whole Day 13 thing, because cruising and superstition go together like buffets and stretchy pants.

For the TikTokers, the viral number craze right now might be “6, 7,” but for the rest of humanity, 13 has been the OG number for centuries. Hotels skip the 13th floor. Office buildings pretend it doesn’t exist. Elevators jump straight from 12 to 14 like nothing strange is happening. And at sea? Cruise ships play along.

Most cruise lines skip Deck 13 entirely. Not all – but most. Walk into an elevator on a ship, and you’ll usually see Deck 12… then Deck 14.

Interestingly, some lines take this superstition and take it a step further. Let’s take MSC, for example. Some of their ships do have a Deck 13, like MSC Meraviglia, but then they’ll skip Deck 17 instead. Others skip both 13 and 17. Because why stop at one bad-luck number when you can have two?

So what’s the deal with 17?

In Italian culture, 17 is considered extremely unlucky. The Roman numeral for 17 is XVII, which can be rearranged to spell VIXI, Latin for “I have lived,” aka… “I’m dead.” Italians don’t mess around with that kind of juju and since MSC is an Italian company, that superstition carried forward onto their ships.

Now here on Explora I, there’s only a total of 14 decks, so we’re only skipping 13.

And if you’re wondering whether any of this actually matters… probably not. But sailors have always been superstitious and even modern cruise lines still quietly respect traditions that date back hundreds of years.

So here we are. Day 13. Christmas Eve. St. John’s, Antigua. No Deck 13. Plenty of superstition. And if today feels a little… off… well, at least now I have a perfectly good excuse.

So let’s talk about St. John’s, Antigua

This is definitely not one of those ports that jumps off a postcard screaming “Caribbean paradise!” In fact, it’s about as far from that as you can get. Every time a ship pulls in here, I find myself asking the same question: why? Why is this a regular cruise stop? Because if you’re judging ports on first impressions alone, St. John’s isn’t winning any beauty contests.

Part of the confusion starts with the name. A lot of people hear “St. John’s” and immediately think of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. That place is stunning. With gorgeous beaches, crystal-clear water and exactly what you would expect to see on a postcard, if people actually mailed postcards these days. This is not that. Not even close. Same-ish name, completely different experience. If you show up expecting anything resembling St. John USVI, you’re going to be disappointed within about 30 seconds of stepping off the ship.

St. John’s is the capital of Antigua and Barbuda, a former British colony that gained independence in 1981 and is now part of the Commonwealth. English is the official language, which is helpful, and the local currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar, though U.S. dollars are accepted in the port area, beyond that… good luck. Credit cards are hit or miss once you wander outside the immediate port area as well.

Economically, Antigua relies heavily on tourism, but St. John’s itself doesn’t really reflect that. What you see here is everyday life in raw form. It’s definitly not polished. There’s visible poverty everywhere you look, aging, crumbling infrastructure, and a general feeling that this is a working town first and a cruise port… maybe fifth. Safety-wise, during the day you’re “probably fine” staying close to the port, but this is absolutely not a place I’d recommend wandering around aimlessly more than just a few blocks from the cruise terminal, especially after dark. I only go about three blocks in and that’s it.  You don’t need to panic, but you do need to be very aware of your surroundings.

This is one of those ports where I can’t say it loud enough: you really need a shore excursion. Antigua actually has some beautiful beaches, but none of that is in St. John’s itself. You need transportation to get to it. And if your excursion involves boats, catamarans, snorkeling, or anything floating… I strongly recommend booking through the cruise line. The number of sketchy-looking boats I see leaving the harbor here never fails to amaze me. They’re often overcrowded, have questionable safety standards, and some vessels look like they’re one engine failure away from a very bad day.   Saving a few bucks by booking one of these sketchy boat tours isn’t worth it.

If you choose to stay near the port and wander on your own, manage your expectations. The shopping area in the port area itself has some shops, duty-free stores, restaurants, bars, a casino, and the usual souvenir nonsense, but once you step outside that bubble, things change quickly. Sidewalks are inconsistent or nonexistent. Accessibility is basically an afterthought as streets are uneven, traffic is chaotic, and everything feels dusty, gritty, and tired. It’s not charming grit either.

It’s just… grit.

So yes, St. John’s is one of those ports where your best plan is either:

1. Book an excursion and get out of town, or
2. Stay on the ship and enjoy the amenities while everyone else deals with it.

There’s no shame in either option. And honestly, sometimes the smartest move is recognizing when a port just isn’t worth forcing yourself to like.

Wandering Around St. John’s, Antigua

I was in absolutely no hurry to get off the ship today, so I took my time and didn’t head ashore until around 1pm. Normally when we’re in St. John’s, I’ll check MarineTraffic out of pure curiosity just to see what else is in port, but I skipped that step today because it’s usually one or two ships at most. Well… surprise. When I finally looked outside, Explora I was docked with Princess Cruises Majestic Princess on one side and Oceania Insignia on the other. I thought, “Okay, three-ship day, that’s already a lot for this place.” Then I walked outside and realized that on the far side of Majestic Princess was Enchanted Princess (which I was on last Christmas, by the way) and MSC Divina, the very first MSC ship I ever sailed on back when MSC debuted in North America. That makes this a five-ship day in St. John’s, which is honestly kind of insane.

If you do some quick math, between passengers and crew, you’re looking at close to 18,000 people descending on this small town at once. St. John’s has a population of roughly 22,000 to 24,000 people. So if everyone got off the ships at the same time, you’d basically double the population of the city in a matter of minutes. That never actually happens because not all passengers get off at ports and only a small number of crew can leave the ship. But even a fraction of that number ashore makes a noticeable difference.

Once you enter the port area, you’re greeted with a semi-modern shopping complex. This is the cruise-friendly bubble. There are the usual duty-free shops, souvenir stores, a few local merchants, and some small cafés where you can grab a coffee, a light bite, or even a Belgian waffle. Just keep your expectations in check here. None of these places are winning awards for cleanliness or culinary excellence.  Along the waterfront there’s also a so-called casino that has a bar and some outdoor seating. Casinos are popular here, but let’s be real: this is more like someone shoved a handful of slot machines into their living room and slapped the word “casino” on their front door.

This is not Vegas, honey.

One thing that genuinely surprised me was spotting one of the newer La Casa del Habano locations right here in St. John’s. These Cuban cigar shops are popping up all over the place, and I regularly visit the ones in St. Kitts and Grand Cayman. This one is located on the second floor, so I walked up the steps and immediately heard, “OMG, Mr. Scott, is that you?” Turns out it was someone I knew from the St. Kitts location who had been transferred here when this store opened a few months ago.

Small world.

She gave me a tour of the shop, showed me the humidor and the small bar area, and they actually have a pretty solid selection of Cuban cigars. It’s not as nice as the St. Kitts location, and there’s no cigar roller on site yet, but she told me the hand-rolled cigars they sell here are currently rolled at the St. Kitts store and shipped over until they get someone on staff locally. We chatted for a bit and I asked her the obvious question: how does she like St. John’s compared to St. Kitts? Her response was brutally honest: “I hate it.” And honestly… that pretty much sums up a lot.

I wandered around town for a bit, and if you watch the Facebook Live video I posted below that I took using my Ray-Ban Meta glasses, you’ve can see exactly what I’m talking about. The video quality isn’t amazing, but it gives you a very real look at what this place is like and whether my descriptions line up with reality. Add to all of this the fact that it was Christmas Eve, and St. John’s was absolutely crazy. This wasn’t cruise passenger activity either. This was locals doing last-minute Christmas shopping. Tables were set up everywhere selling bicycles, toys, random household items, and just about anything you could imagine. It was wild.

There were people grilling very questionable-looking meat in the streets, loud music blasting from impromptu street parties, and a general sense of organized chaos. I wandered into a department store, and the checkout lines stretched the length of the store as people stocked up for Christmas. Nearby was a church, so I wandered over to take a photo, only to find out they charge $5 to go inside. And people say religion isn’t a business. Across town was the public market, a large covered open-air space where locals normally buy fruits and vegetables. It wasn’t particularly busy, mostly because the streets outside were packed with people selling the exact same produce. Everywhere you turned, someone was selling fruits and veggies.

Across from the public market was the meat market, and curiosity got the best of me. I walked in and immediately regretted it. Hygiene was clearly not on the menu. The place was filthy, band saws were buzzing, and the smell was… not great. Most of the meat looked frozen and nothing resembled what you’d expect to see in a market back home. Next door was the fish market, and after that experience, there was absolutely no chance I was stepping foot in there.

Despite all of this chaos, I’ll say this: I was only offered drugs once, no one harassed me, no one aggressively tried to sell me anything, and the only taxi solicitation I got was right outside the port, which was handled with a polite “no thank you.” I only ventured about three or four blocks into town, and that’s really where I’d draw the line. Things do start to go downhill beyond that. For first-time visitors, my advice is simple: don’t go far, travel in a group, stay aware of your surroundings, and you’ll be fine. You will see poverty, and yes, a few people did ask me for money, which is not surprising.

That said, I do think it’s worth spending a few minutes stepping outside the cruise bubble just to see what real life looks like here. It’s eye-opening. Just go in with low expectations and keep your spidey senses on high alert.

St. John’s, Antigua Walk Around Video

Christmas Eve & Dinner at Anthology on Explora Journeys

As you can see in the daily schedule at the bottom of the page, there were some Christmas festivities planned for the evening, but if we’re being completely honest, it was a pretty light lineup. This is not one of those ships where you feel like you’ve walked into a floating Hallmark movie. Decorations around the ship are minimal. Yes, there are a few gingerbread house displays scattered around, a Christmas tree here and there, but it’s all very understated. The most festive spot onboard by far is the Lobby Bar, where they’ve set up two large Christmas trees flanking the staircase. Oddly enough, neither of them is lit, which feels like a very on-brand “Explora minimalist chic” decision. Festive… but make it subtle.

We were originally scheduled to remain in port until 8pm, but around 7:15 the lines were pulled in and we started making our way out early. Not long after that, the ship’s enrichment team (that’s what Explora calls entertainment) came over the PA system and did a reading of ’Twas the Night Before Christmas. Since it’s Christmas Eve, that’s basically required by maritime law! Later in the evening, there were Christmas carols planned with the ship’s officers and a Christmas Eve service with a priest onboard for those who wanted something a little more traditional.

As for me, my Christmas Eve was reserved for something a bit more… elevated. Dinner tonight was at Anthology, which is the crown jewel of dining onboard Explora Journeys. This is the restaurant everyone talks about and the one you don’t just casually wander into. Anthology is a 50-seat, intimate fine dining experience focused on elevated Italian cuisine, and it comes with a price tag to match. Dinner here runs $160 per person, and if you want to go all in with the wine pairing, that’s another $70 per person on top of it. This is very much a “special occasion” restaurant.

Anthology serves a seven-course tasting menu that showcases Italian food focusing on presentation and premium ingredients. The menu changes periodically, but this is Italian cuisine viewed through a Michelin-style lens. Think carefully plated courses and dishes that are meant to be photographed and savored rather than inhaled.

This isn’t a loud, bustling dining room which honestly makes it a perfect choice for Christmas Eve if you’re looking to escape the chaos of the rest of the ship, especially on a sailing that’s suddenly filled with kids and large family groups.

Like I mentioned, dinner at Anthology is not a quick in-and-out situation, so plan accordingly. Depending on how many people are seated and how smoothly the pacing goes, you’re looking at anywhere from two to two-and-a-half hours. I had a 7:45pm reservation and when I arrived, I was given a choice of two tables. One was tucked along a wall toward the back of one section of the dining room, and the other was along a window directly behind the service station.

Neither option would be nominated for “Best Seat in the House,” but I opted for the window seat. It came with a warning from the host: “This is where the staff works, so it can get a little busy and noisy here.” Which immediately made me wonder why there’s a table there in the first place, but… here we are.

Once seated, my server Erwin came over to introduce himself, walked me through how the menu works, asked about allergies or dietary restrictions, and let me know the sommelier would be by shortly to discuss wine options. In the meantime, a light, fizzy welcome cocktail appeared to kick things off, along with sparkling water. The house sparkling tap water, however, had a very odd taste to it, so I quickly swapped that out for San Pellegrino instead.

Crisis averted.

The sommelier then came by and laid out the options: either choose a bottle from the rather extensive wine list, or go with the $70 wine pairing. The pairing includes a different glass with each course – whites, with one red reserved for the main course. At that point, I figured I was already in for $160, so what’s another $70? Go big or go to the buffet, right? So, wine pairing it was.

With that decision made, a bread basket and a plate of polenta sticks hit the table. Those polenta sticks were dangerous and wildly addictive. They were basically edible crack and I’m not going to admit to whether or not more were requested.

Here’s how the menu works. Anthology is a seven-course tasting menu, but unlike a traditional chef’s table, you get choices for most of the courses. Two are fixed, but the rest allow you to select one option per course. I’d best describe it as a hybrid between a tasting menu and a chef’s table experience. Portions are small, intentionally so, and everything is designed to be savored, not rushed.

Anthology Dinner Menu on Explora Journeys

The meal officially kicked off with a small amuse-bouche. Tonight, that consisted of a tiny bit of lobster bisque and what they described as a “hand pizza” topped with fresh mozzarella. Just a few spoons of bisque and a single bites of pizza, but it set the tone for the evening. Simple flavors and presented beautifully.

That opening bite was paired with a glass of Moët & Chandon sparkling wine, which felt like a very appropriate way to say, “Welcome to Christmas Eve dinner.” At that point, we were officially off and running.

Course 1

Before the first official course hit the table, the next round of wine arrived.

They poured Allucia Grillo from Totò Navarra, and let me explain this the way I actually experienced it, because I am not a wine snob, I don’t pretend to be one, and if you start throwing wine buzzwords at me, my brain immediately checks out. I had to ask what the hell Grillo even was. Turns out it’s a white wine from Sicily. Cool. That’s about the extent of my wine education for the evening.

What I can tell you is, it was light, clean, and very easy to drink. Nothing funky, nothing sweet, nothing that made me think, “oh no, what did I sign up for?” It tasted fresh, a little citrusy, kind of crisp, and didn’t punch you in the face. This is one of those wines you can sip without overthinking, which I very much appreciate when I’m staring down a seven-course dinner.

And then the first course arrived.

Ricordo Del Mare sounds poetic, and it absolutely looked the part. What was on the plate was essentially a small, very expensive-looking bite of the sea: a dollop of Oscietra Royal caviar topped with actual 24k gold leaf, sitting on top of  a lobster “pearl,” wrapped in thin slices of green apple, finished with a sweet-and-sour vinaigrette.

This was not a “grab your fork and dig in” situation. This was a pause, look at it, take a picture, and then carefully scoop kind of moment. The lobster was tender, the green apple added a fresh crunch and a bit of acidity, and the caviar did exactly what caviar does – salty, briny, rich, and very much letting you know you’re eating something fancy. The gold leaf? Purely for flexing.

Paired with the Grillo, it worked really well. The wine didn’t overpower anything, didn’t clash, and didn’t leave that weird aftertaste that makes you immediately reach for water. It just quietly did its job, letting the food shine without getting in the way.

If I had to put it in simple terms: this was a “small bite, big impression” start to the meal.

Course 2

Before the next plate hit the table, another bottle showed up – Le Creete Lugana from Ottella, and once again, I nodded like I understood exactly what that meant… even though I absolutely did not.

Here’s the simple version.  Not heavy, not sweet, not punch-you-in-the-face strong, just smoother and more rounded. Less citrus than the previous one, but no weird aftertaste, no sudden need to cleanse your palate with bread and water.

Then the next course arrived.

Vitello Tonnato – thin slices of veal loin, served cold, laid out in this really nice rosette pattern. On top was an albacore tuna espuma (foam), plus caperberries, gremolata, and a few olives.

Let’s address the elephant in the room: veal and tuna sounds like something that shouldn’t work. In reality, it worked well. The veal was excellent. Super tender and mild, exactly what veal should be. The tuna espuma was the wildcard here and it added this soft, punch of flavor that you didn’t see coming – not fishy, not heavy, just… a pinch of extra flavor.

Course 3

Next course, and the same wine was offered here from Course 2.  I opted for the Raviolo allo Scampo which was a single, raviolo filled with langoustine, swimming in sage butter with just a small dab of San Marzano tomato consommé on top. Two bites, three if you’re being dainty.  With this course, there was nothing earth-shattering about it, and that’s not a knock. I took this as a light pasta interlude before things started getting heavier.

The pasta itself was tender, the filling was plentiful, but the butter carried most of the flavor. This wasn’t one of the courses during this meal that made be say, “wow!”

Course 4

After that, it was time for a palate cleanser, and this one was… different.

A small circular dish hit the table, and once the top was lifted it revealed a mix of shaved ice, popping candy, and a bit of lemon sorbet. And yes – popping candy. Actual Pop Rocks. Fine dining Pop Rocks. That sentence alone probably tells you how this was going to go.

Each spoonful delivered a hit of lemon, followed by that crackle and pop that instantly transported me straight back to being a kid. You know, back when we all genuinely believed Mikey from the cereal commercials might have actually died after eating Pop Rocks and drinking soda.

The lemon kept things fresh and the popping candy added this fun, unexpected twist that made you stop and laugh for a second.

Course 5

Once the palate cleanser did its job and reset everything, the sommelier reappeared with the lone red in the pairing lineup. This was Ronchedone Vino Rosso from Cà dei Frati, and let me once again explain this in the least wine-snob way possible, because that’s all I’ve got.

This one felt heavier and richer than anything that came before it.  It wasn’t sharp, it wasn’t weird, it was smooth, a little bold, and clearly meant to compliment the beef. Beyond that, I’ll spare you the tasting notes I don’t actually understand and just say this: it made total sense when the plate hit the table.

For my main course selection, I went with La Montagna –  A5 Wagyu beef with Amarone (red wine) sauce, porcini-stuffed Swiss chard, and truffle potato palet.

Let’s get this out of the way right now: the Wagyu was the star. Nothing else.

Cooked a perfect medium rare, it was incredibly tender with a mild, buttery flavor.  As for the sides… they were fine. The porcini-stuffed Swiss chard and the truffle potato were there, they did their job, but they also weren’t trying to anything else than take up space on the plate.

This course was all about the meat, and it delivered exactly what it needed to.

Course 6 & 7 – The Desserts!

For the final stretch of the meal, a new bottle showed up at the table, this was La Morandina Moscato d’Asti, and unlike every other wine of the night, this one didn’t require questions, explanations, or pretending I knew what I was talking about.

This wine was sweet, light, and flat-out delicious. Slightly fizzy, very smooth, and dangerously easy to drink (too easy as I had several). If the earlier wines were about “pairing” and “balance,” this one was about saying, relax, dinner’s almost over it dessert time!

For the first dessert course, I went with Millefoglie – caramelised crispy dough, soft vanilla cream, and raspberries. Visually, this thing was art on a plate. Very elegant, very “don’t touch it yet until I get the perfect photo!” For as heavy as it looked, it ended up being light.  The creamy vanilla had just enough sweetness and wasn’t what you would call a heavy filling and the raspberries cut through everything nicely.

Then came the final course.  Out rolled the dessert trolley with an assortment of small dessert bites, and yes, I did exactly what you think I did. One of each.  This was Christmas Eve, I had already committed to the experience, and I wasn’t about to start showing discipline at this point in the meal.

It was the perfect way to close out a long, indulgent meal, adding just a few more calories to an evening that had already thrown moderation out the window.

By the time the trolley rolled away and the last sip of Moscato was gone, dinner at Anthology officially came to an end. Seven courses, multiple wines, zero rushing, and a very strong feeling that I was going to sleep exceptionally well that night.

Honestly, as a Christmas Eve dinner at sea, it doesn’t get much better than that.

Is Anthology on Explora Journeys Worth the Price?

So let’s talk about the part everyone actually cares about… was Anthology worth $160 per person, plus another $70 for the wine pairing?

Short answer: yes… with an asterisk.

From a pure food quality standpoint, this was without question the most elevated dining experience onboard Explora I. The ingredients were top tier, the execution was perfect, the pacing spot on, and nothing felt sloppy or rushed. The Wagyu alone was outstanding and easily the best single bite of food I’ve had on the ship so far. The caviar course felt indulgent, and the desserts actually delivered instead of being an afterthought.

That said, this is not a meal that’s trying to leave you stuffed. If you’re someone who equates value with portion size, this will not be your restaurant. The courses are small by design, meant to be appreciated rather than inhaled. I personally finished satisfied, not full, which is exactly what a tasting menu like this should do – but I can absolutely see how some people would walk away thinking, “That’s it?”

As for the wine pairing, I’m glad I did it, but I’ll be honest – this is where the value becomes more subjective. The wines were good, thoughtfully selected, and paired well with each course. None of them were bad. None of them felt like filler. But as someone who is very upfront about not being a wine snob, I didn’t have a single “holy crap” wine moment that made me feel like the $70 was a no-brainer. If you enjoy wine pairings and like being guided through the meal without thinking about what to order, it’s worth it. If you’re more of a casual wine drinker, you could easily skip the pairing and not feel like you missed half the experience.

Atmosphere-wise, Anthology is elegant, calm, and intimate, but it’s not flawless. The dining room is small, and some table placements (mine included) are less than ideal. For a restaurant charging this price point, there really shouldn’t be a “busy and noisy” warning attached to any table. Service, however, was excellent – professional, knowledgeable, and paced exactly how it should be for a long tasting dinner.

So here’s the bottom line in plain English.

If you’re celebrating something special, love a slow multi-course experience, appreciate high-end ingredients, and want the most refined meal onboard, Anthology is absolutely worth doing once. It feels special and it delivers a level of dining you won’t get elsewhere on the ship.

If you’re more about comfort, value, or leaving dinner absolutely stuffed, you may walk away questioning the price. And if you’re on a tighter budget or deciding between this and multiple nights at Marble & Co. or Fil Rouge, those venues will give you excellent meals without the upcharge.

For me, on Christmas Eve, as a one-time splurge? Worth it.

Would I do it every cruise? Probably not.

But I’m glad I did it – and that’s really the test.

I’m going to be back at Anthology on Saturday for a similar priced experience – a Super Tuscan wine pairing along with small bites.  Again, not because I’m a wine snob, but because I want to “experience the experience.”

Dinner at Anthology wrapped up around 10pm and after a nightcap at the Malt Whisky Bar, I was done.  Full of wine, full of food, full of that last cocktail I didn’t really need after all that wine, and was totally ready to call it a night.

We’re heading toward our next port of call, the second to last on this journey – St. Maarten.  More on that tomorrow.  As always, thanks for following along!

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