Explora Journeys Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 2: December 13, 2025

Day 2 onboard Explora Journeys’ Explora I, and today is a full sea day as we continue making our way toward our first port of call, La Romana in the Dominican Republic, where we’re scheduled to dock Monday morning at 8:00am.

If you’re just jumping in now, yesterday I covered the basics. Who Explora Journeys is, a bit about the ship itself, a full walkthrough of my suite, plus embarkation day and the first night onboard, including dinner and the evening show. I’ve got plenty of days ahead to really dig into what Explora does well and where things may fall short, but before getting into today’s sea day stuff, I want to stop and answer a couple of questions that have already come in.

Since Explora Journeys is still pretty new and not nearly as well-known as some of the other luxury brands, feel free to send questions my way. Drop them in the comments at the bottom of the page or use the contact form. If you’re wondering about something, chances are someone else is too.

Is Explora Really All-Inclusive Like Regent?

This question came in twice!  “We’ve sailed on Regent many times and have been looking at Explora, but it doesn’t seem like it’s truly all-inclusive. Can you explain what is and isn’t included compared to Regent?”

I’ve sailed on Regent as well, and for the most part, Explora and Regent are very similar when it comes to what’s included. But there are a couple of differences depending on how you cruise.

The biggest one is shore excursions. Regent includes shore excursions in every port as part of your cruise fare. Explora does not. On Explora, shore excursions are extra, and I’ll be honest, some of them are not cheap. If you’re the type of cruiser who books a ship-sponsored excursion in every single port, that’s something you need to factor in right away when comparing prices.

Laundry is another difference. Regent includes unlimited valet laundry for everyone. Explora does not include unlimited laundry across the board. That said, because I’m sailing with Platinum status, I get one complimentary bag of laundry per day as a loyalty perk, which helps a lot on a longer cruise like this. Also worth noting, some of the higher suite categories include laundry regardless of loyalty status.

When it comes to dining, Explora and Regent are similar. All dining is included on Explora, just like Regent, with one exception. Anthology, which is Explora’s multi-course dining experience that costs extra. Think of it as a chef’s table-style experience. I’ll be doing that later in the cruise and will absolutely share whether I think it’s worth it.

Beverages are included on both lines, alcoholic and non-alcoholic. That said, on Explora there are some very top-shelf spirits that are not included and come with an extra charge. Tasting events, like the whisky, gin, and cigar experiences I signed up for, are also extra. Regent handles premium experiences in a similar way, so this isn’t unusual.

Gratuities and daily service charges are included on both lines and so is Wi-Fi.

For the most part, Explora and Regent are about the same. The biggest thing to wrap your head around is excursions. If shore excursions are a big part of how you cruise and you like having them bundled into the fare, Regent still has an edge there. If you’re someone who explores ports on your own or picks and chooses a few experiences rather than booking something everywhere, Explora’s model may work just fine.

“Is It Stuffy?”

The next question I’m getting from just about everyone is some version of, “Is it stuffy?”

And honestly, stuffy is going to be subjective, no matter how you slice it.

For some context, I just got off Queen Elizabeth a few weeks ago, and if I’m being completely honest, that ship felt far more stuffy than anything I’ve experienced so far on Explora I. Seeing men sitting around the pool in suit coats in Caribbean heat and having to break out a tux twice during the cruise pretty much defines “stuffy” for me.

Now let’s compare that to what’s going on here.

Anyone who’s followed my cruise reports for a while knows my style is… not subtle. I like bright colors. I like loud prints. Nothing obscene, but definitely not muted On this ship, I’ve gotten a few snobbish looks, sure, but I’ve also gotten a ton of “I love your shirt” and “I can’t wait to see what you wear tomorrow.”

What I’m seeing onboard is a mix. Some people are dressing up in the evenings. Others, like me, are dressing comfortably and having fun with it. There is no rigid dress code beyond the standard stuff like not wearing your bathing suit to dinner. No dress-up-in-your-tux nights.  No theme nights. No pressure to live up to luxury. You dress how you want, and for the most part, “most” people mind their own business.

There’s definitely a fair amount of what I’d call “new money” onboard, which need to be educated on how their parents and grandparents behaved, since it’s their money they’re actually living off of. While the “old money” crowd are the ones who actually go out of their way to strike up conversations, say hello, and ask where you’re from.

As for me, I don’t really care what others think. I roll with it. You want to be stuffy, go for it. I’ll happily serve a little pretentiousness right back if needed. But overall, I absolutely do not feel out of place here, and the mood is significantly more relaxed than what I experienced on Queen Elizabeth.

One other thing worth noting is the passenger mix. Much like mainstream MSC, I’m seeing a strong European and UK base of travelers, along with a number of Brazilian guests onboard. Although these folks are a bit more behaved and aren’t cutting lines, smoking wherever they feel like it, and berating staff like I’ve seen on MSC.

Bottom line, if your definition of stuffy is enforced dress codes, formal nights, and getting a “shhhhhh!” when you’re in a lounge, this isn’t that. If your definition of stuffy is simply being around people who have money, well, yeah, you’re probably going to notice that.

By the way, I’m loving playing the game of, “Is that Louis real or fake?”  And yeah, there are definitely some fake ones ,which on here, I’d be embarrassed to walk around with.

Ok, those were the two big questions asked so far, I’ll tackle some more tomorrow, but I want to move on to some other stuff, starting with…

Entertainment on Explora Journeys

Let’s talk about entertainment, because this is another area where expectations matter a lot.

If you looked at the daily schedule I posted in yesterday’s report and again at the bottom of today’s, you probably noticed something right away. The schedule is light. Very light. The day is absolutely not packed with things to do, and that’s not an accident.

If you’re someone who needs their entire day mapped out and lives by bouncing from trivia to beer pong to line dancing to cornhole to trivia again and then back to beer bong, you are going to be deeply disappointed here. That kind of cruise experience does not exist on Explora.

At all.

Yes, there’s a DJ at the pool. And yes, someone actually complained about the volume of the music, which made me laugh because… it’s the pool. There’s also afternoon tea, some trivia, occasional presentations, and a handful of low-key activities sprinkled throughout the day. But even on a full sea day, there’s just not a lot going on by design.

This ship operates at its own pace, and that pace is slow.

The focus here is on relaxing, taking in a presentation, relaxing some more, having a few drinks by the pool, relaxing again, spending time in the spa, and then relaxing even harder. The entertainment is meant to fill space, not dominate your day.

And honestly? I’m kind of enjoying it.

That said, I’ve also found myself doing a lot more day drinking than usual, mostly because there isn’t much else competing for my attention. When the options are read, nap, spa, pool, cocktail, or stare at the ocean, it’s pretty easy to end up with a drink in your hand by early afternoon morning.

This is not a cruise for people who get bored easily.  You’re going to need to figure out how you want to spend your day without being herded from one activity to the next.

Dining on Explora I

Let’s talk about dining, because no matter what cruise line you’re on, food matters.

A lot.

On Explora I, dinner means choosing from six different venues, and there is no traditional main dining room. Instead, everything is standalone restaurants like you’d find on land.

Two of the restaurants do not require reservations and can be visited as often as you’d like. The first is Fil Rouge, which bills itself as “a sophisticated and intimate restaurant offering a global tasting tour of French-inspired cuisine.” That’s where I had dinner tonight, and I’ll get into that in more detail in just a bit.  The second is Med Yacht Club, where I ate on the first night. Med Yacht Club is “inspired by Mediterranean dining and pulls flavors and textures from Italy, Spain, Greece, France, and North Africa.”

Both of these restaurants have set menus that do not rotate nightly, but they do offer daily specials, which keeps things from feeling repetitive, key on long cruises like this one.

Then there are two restaurants that do require reservations, and you’re limited to one reservation per venue per sailing. The first is Sakura, described as “an immersive and authentic dining experience focused on refined pan-Asian cuisine.” The second is Marble & Co. Grill, a “refined European-style steakhouse offering exceptional cuts of meat that are personally sourced and sustainably farmed.” These two are clearly meant to be more special-occasion meals, and I’ll be covering both later in the cruise.

For those really looking to splurge, there’s Anthology, which I mentioned earlier. This is Explora Journeys’ signature fine dining experience and comes with a $250 per person price tag. It’s a seven-course tasting menu designed to “tell the story of Italy’s culinary brilliance.” Given Explora’s deep Italian roots, my expectations here are high, and I’m looking forward to seeing if it lives up to that steep price tag.

And finally, there’s the Emporium Marketplace, which is technically the buffet, but calling it a buffet doesn’t really do it justice. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is made up of various food stations where nothing is self-service. Everything is plated and served for you. The offerings are extensive and include sushi, fresh seafood, rotisserie meats, pasta cooked to order, pizza, a full charcuterie and cheese station, and plenty more. All of this is set in a restaurant-style space rather than a cafeteria, which makes a huge difference.  Plus, they have a nice outdoor terrace for dining as well.

The big takeaway with dining on Explora I is that it’s not about rushing people through meals or funneling everyone into one dining room at the same time. You pick what sounds good, when it sounds good, and you eat at your own pace.

Dinner at Fil Rouge

As I mentioned earlier, dinner tonight was at Fil Rouge. Since no reservation is required, I walked over around 7:30pm, which is a little early for me, but I had a special experience booked for 9:00pm that I’ll get into in a bit. The restaurant was busy, but I was taken to a table right away. Just like Med Yacht Club the night before, Fil Rouge feels like a traditional restaurant back home rather than a cruise ship dining room. There’s plenty of space between tables, no feeling of being crammed in, and the overall feel is relaxed but polished.

Shortly after sitting down, the dining room manager came over to introduce himself, welcome me to the restaurant, and introduce the team of servers who would be taking care of me for the evening. Not long after that, a basket of bread arrived at the table, which, as always, is my downfall every single night.

I ordered a glass of wine and we were off and running. I started with the Tartare de bœuf à la Niçoise with socca, a classic beef tartare. It was served simply, just the chopped beef without crostini or accompaniments. It was very good, and once again, that bread basket came in handy.

Next up, the woman seated at the table next to me leaned over and said, “Do not pass up the French onion soup, it was amazing.” I’m not one to ignore advice like that, so Gratiné à l’oignon it was. She wasn’t wrong. The broth was sweet, loaded with onions, and topped with a beautifully melted Emmental cheese crust. Easily the right call.

For the main course, my server suggested doing the feature of the evening, which was Beef Bourguignon, paired with the Langouste Thermidor with riz pilaf. The beef bourguignon was classic French comfort food, slow-cooked beef served over homemade egg noodle pasta in a rich brown sauce. The lobster tail Thermidor was sweet and perfectly cooked, served over rice pilaf. The two dishes worked incredibly well together, and the smaller portions made it the perfect size main course. It was an excellent recommendation.

Service throughout the meal was fantastic and exactly what you’d expect from fine dining. My server, Fernando, was completely on top of everything without ever feeling intrusive. At one point, I did ask him to stop calling me Mr. Sanfilippo because that’s just a bit “too stuffy” for me.

See what I did there.

We laughed, and it was “Scott” for the rest of the evening.

When it came time for dessert, I had to pass, much to Fernando’s disappointment. He really wanted me to try the Pâtisserie du jour, which was a pear soufflé that, according to him, took a bit of extra time but was well worth the wait. When I explained where I had to be in ten minutes, though, his disappointment turned into a little bit of jealousy.

And with that, it was time to head off to the next experience of the evening.

The Ultimate Whisky & Chocolate Pairing

The next stop for the evening was the Ultimate Whisky & Chocolate Pairing, which turned out to be a great way to cap off Day 2. This was one of several tasting-style events I signed up for over the course of the cruise, and it was the first one on the schedule. I’ll list out the full lineup of events later, but this felt like the perfect place to start.

The event was held in the ship’s Malt Whisky Bar, which also includes a comfortable lounge area and a separate cigar lounge with premium cigars available for purchase. There were just five of us participating, so we cozied up right at the bar for an hour of tasting.

We were presented with five whiskies in total. Two were Japanese, Kujira and Hibiki Master’s Select. One was American, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. The final two came from Scotland, Glenmorangie and Ardbeg. Each whisky was paired with a handcrafted piece of chocolate, and we worked through them one at a time.

For each pairing, the whisky was poured and discussed in detail. We talked through flavor notes, took a sip on its own, then added the chocolate and tried it again to see how the flavors changed and interacted. The pace was unrushed, and there was plenty of time for questions and conversation as we moved from one pour to the next.

The pours themselves were generous, and at $50, the experience was absolutely worth it. Just for some perspective, a single pour of the Kujira whisky is priced at $44 on its own, making it the most expensive whisky of the night. When you factor in the quality of the selections, the chocolates, and the time spent, this was an easy yes.

My next event is the Cognac & Cigar Experience, which I’m looking forward to.  Now, here’s that list of other tasting experiences:

All in all, it was a really enjoyable experience and exactly the kind of low-key, well-executed event that fits Explora’s vibe. Since it was already around 10:00pm, and there had been a fair amount of liquor involved throughout the evening, I hung around the bar for a bit longer and had a Manhattan before finally calling it a night.

Tomorrow is another day at sea, so there will be more questions, more wandering, and more to share from Explora I. As always, thanks for following along.

Daily Schedule

Personal Day-By-Day Explora I Cruise Review: