Explora Journeys Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 4: December 15, 2025

Day 4 on Explora Journeys Explora I, and we’ve arrived at our first port of call, La Romana in the Dominican Republic. The ship tied up just before 8:00am, and guests were able to head ashore shortly afterward.  Before getting into what to do here, let’s talk a little about the port itself, because La Romana is one of those places people book without really knowing what to expect.

When you dock at La Romana, you’re basically dropped right into the middle of the action, very much like Amber Cove or Mahogany Bay. If you’ve been to either of those, you’ll immediately recognize the setup. It’s a manufactured port experience, through and through. While Amber Cove and Mahogany Bay are owned by Carnival Corporation, La Romana isn’t owned by a cruise line, but the layout is almost identical.

Once you step off the ship, you walk straight into the port complex where you’ll find shops, local merchants selling souvenirs, and, of course, the obligatory duty-free store. Off to one side is the staging area where shore excursion buses load up and head out for the day.

And then there’s the main attraction here: the pool.

There’s one large pool with plenty of loungers surrounding it, plus a sandy lounge area with even more chairs. What there is not, however, is a beach. There’s a glass barrier separating the pool area from the water below, so while you get the look of being oceanside, you’re not actually stepping into the sea.

Scattered around the pool area are several bars offering drinks and light bites. One thing to note is that no cash is accepted at the bars. Everything is credit card only. They will tell you they accept American Express, but in my case, it didn’t work, so keep that in mind. Also worth noting, you can’t add a tip on a credit card, which feels like an odd choice.

If you’re planning to stay right in the port, your day is basically going to consist of hanging out by the pool. And here’s the thing: that’s something you can already do onboard the ship. So while La Romana is perfectly fine for a low-effort port day, this isn’t exactly a stop that makes you say, “We absolutely have to get off the ship here.”

The big question everyone asks about La Romana is whether there are beaches nearby. The answer is yes, but you are not walking to one from the ship.

La Romana itself is not a beach town in the traditional sense. You’re docked in a port and marina area, not steps from the sand. That said, some really nice beaches are very close by.

The most popular option is Minitas Beach, which is part of the Casa de Campo resort. It’s usually about a 15 minute taxi ride from the port.

Another popular option is heading toward Bayahibe or Dominicus Beach, which are a bit farther out, usually around 20 minutes away, but still very doable. These areas tend to be a little more laid-back,.

You can book beach excursions through the ship, or you can grab a taxi right outside the terminal. Either way, beach access takes some traveling, so keep that in mind if that’s your priority.

La Romana Cruise Port Walk Around Video

Popular Shore Excursions in La Romana

If you’re someone who likes ship-organized excursions, La Romana offers a a few.

Beach days are by far the most popular, whether that’s Minitas Beach or Bayahibe. Altos de Chavón is another one, and it’s worth mentioning.  It’s a recreated 16th-century Mediterranean-style village perched above the Chavón River, with cobblestone streets, artisan shops, galleries, and an amphitheater.

For the more adventurous crowd, there are excursions involving caves, zip lines, and jungle-style adventures, as well as horseback riding experiences that sometimes include time on the beach. There are also tours that focus on local life, rum, and Dominican history, though those tend to be more hit or miss depending on the guide.

What If You Want to Explore on Your Own?

Now let’s talk honestly about exploring La Romana on your own, because this is where expectations need to be managed.

You can walk around right outside the port area. Sticking close to the port, in daylight, feels fine and is what many people do if they just want to stretch their legs for an hour or two.  That said, this is not a port where I’d recommend wandering far on foot. Once you move beyond the immediate port and marina area, it quickly turns into a Dominican city. Sidewalks become inconsistent and there’s really nothing set up for tourists to casually explore on foot.

Also something to note, at times there are police / security outside the port area keeping people from venturing too far into town for safety reasons, so my best advice here is to not go outside the port unless you’re on an excursion, plain and simple. It’s safer, easier, and far less stressful.

Now, because Explora I is a smaller ship and there are only around 600 of us onboard for this sailing, the port felt like a complete ghost town. And I mean that in the most literal way.

I’ve been to La Romana on much larger ships before, and on those days the pool is packed, the bars are slammed, and finding an open lounger takes patience. None of that was happening today. When I was out there, if there were 30 people total in the entire outdoor port area, I’d honestly be overestimating. The bars were empty, there were only a handful of people in the pool, and loungers were wide open everywhere you looked. The shops were all open, but there was virtually no foot traffic.

I ended up heading out for about two hours, mostly just to stretch my legs, enjoy being on land for a bit, and soak in how quiet everything was. I brought an Italian cigar with me, grabbed a few cold Presidente beers from the Dominican Republic, and just relaxed. No crowds, no lines, no noise. It was actually kind of perfect.

Most of the people out and about were crew members, which honestly made me happy. They were able to enjoy the port amenities without the usual chaos, and it felt good seeing them take advantage of a quiet day ashore.

All aboard was set for 5:30pm, but in reality, most guests were back on the ship well before 3:00pm. Explora I pulled out right on time, and just like they always do here, the port staff lined up along the dock, waving and giving us a proper sendoff as we sailed out and headed back to sea.

Let’s Talk About Laundry…

…because nobody likes doing it at home, let alone while they’re supposed to be on vacation.

Like pretty much every cruise line out there, Explora Journeys offers full laundry service, and also has self-service laundrettes onboard.

Now, here’s where things get good for some guests. Certain higher-category suites include unlimited complimentary laundry, and for members of the line’s loyalty program like me, my Explora Club Platinum status comes with a pretty fantastic perk: one bag of laundry per day, every day of the cruise. Each bag can include up to 10 pieces, which on an 18-night sailing is a huge benefit. Shirts, shorts, socks, underwear, done. Leave the bag on the bed, the steward takes it, it comes back clean, pressed, and ready to go.

If you don’t have complimentary laundry included through your suite or loyalty level, you can still use the service, but you’re going to pay for it, and yes, it’s on the pricey side. Or just use the self service machines.

Laundry is priced per item, and the menu includes standard washing, eco-friendly dry cleaning, and pressing-only services as well. So whether you just want your clothes washed, need something pressed for dinner, or have items that require dry cleaning, all of that is available. Same-day service is also offered for an additional fee if you’re in a pinch.

I’ve included a photo of the current price list from this sailing so you can see exactly what things cost as of now, but the big takeaway here is this: loyalty matters, and if you’re Platinum or in a suite category that includes laundry, it’s an excellent perk that you’ll absolutely use on a longer cruise like this one.

For everyone else, yes, it costs extra, but the convenience of not dealing with laundry on a cruise… priceless!  (I miss those Amex commercials.)

Dinner at Fil Rouge on Explora Journeys

Dinner tonight was back at Fil Rouge, one of the ship’s two no-reservation-required restaurants. Fil Rouge bills itself as a sophisticated yet approachable French-inspired dining experience, and conceptually, it really does feel like a proper restaurant you’d walk into back home rather than a traditional cruise ship dining room. Tables are spaced out, lighting is just right, and the whole room has a polished but not over-the-top feel.

Before dinner, I stopped by the Lobby Bar for a pre-dinner cocktail, and for the first time on this cruise, I’ll be honest, I felt a little out of place. The bar was filled with couples, both younger and older, and there wasn’t much interaction beyond the people sitting together. No casual banter, no mingling, just quiet conversations happening in pairs. I was asked the other day whether this ship feels “stuffy,” and in my Day 3 report I said no. For this brief moment, though, sipping my gin and tonic and admittedly downing it faster than usual so I could move along, I did feel like I had wandered into a space where I maybe didn’t belong. That feeling didn’t last long, but it was noticeable enough to mention.

Since I had another beverage tasting scheduled for 9:00pm, I went for an early dinner and walked over to Fil Rouge around 7:45pm to see if I could be seated. I asked the hostess if I could have Fernando, who took incredible care of me when I dined here on Night 2, and she honored that request. A mother, and I’m guessing her adult son, were behind me when I asked for Ferdinand, and they ended up seated near me. As I was leaving later, they stopped me and said they were so glad they heard me ask for him because they did the same and had a fantastic experience. We chatted briefly, and just like that, the slightly stuffy feeling from earlier completely disappeared. Sometimes all it takes is a friendly conversation to reset the mood.

That said, dinner service tonight did hit a small snag. After being seated at 7:45, Ferdinand came by to greet me, hand me the menu, and ask about wine. Then… nothing. No wine, no water, no bread, no anything. When he returned around 8:00pm, he looked genuinely confused and asked where my bread and drink were. I told him I had no idea. He was clearly embarrassed and immediately jumped into action, pulling others in to get everything corrected. I reminded him I had a tasting coming up in about an hour, and he assured me I’d be out in time.

I asked for his recommendations again, since his picks on Night 2 were spot on. For a starter, he suggested the Gâteau de crabe aux épices cajun, a French Cajun-spiced jumbo lump crab cake with roasted cherry tomato aïoli. It was a solid choice. A generous portion, lots of lump crab, light breading, and very delicious.

For my next course, I went rogue and ordered the Cœur de laitue au Roquefort, a Boston lettuce heart with shallots and A.O.C. Roquefort cheese. Fresh, crisp, light.  But it was just a salad.

When it came time for the entrée, I mentioned that I had the Dover sole the night before at Med Yacht Club. Ferdinand encouraged me to try Fil Rouge’s version anyway, so I went with the Sole meunière, served with lemon-parsley butter sauce and chive potatoes. He also recommended one of the evening’s featured dishes, which he offered as a side for me: homemade spinach pasta with jumbo shrimp. That turned out to be an excellent move.

The Dover sole was once again deboned tableside, but I’ll be honest, tonight’s version didn’t quite live up to the one I had at Med Yacht Club. It wasn’t as light or flaky, and that was pretty clear from the difficulty the server had while deboning it. Flavor-wise, the Med’s preparation was also better. The spinach pasta with shrimp, on the other hand, was fantastic.

When dessert time rolled around, I passed. It was getting close to 9:00pm, and I had somewhere else to be next, which turned out to be a pretty good reason to save room.

And that brings us to…

Gin & Tonic Tasting on Explora Journeys

Next up on the agenda tonight was another one of Explora Journeys’ beverage tastings, this time the Gin & Tonic Tasting. At this point, Emmanuel is starting to feel like my personal spirits guide for the week. He’s hosted all three tastings I’ve done so far, starting with Whisky and Chocolate on Day 2, followed by Cognac and Cigars on Day 3, and now here we are on Day 4, diving into gin.

If you’re curious about all the tastings offered onboard, I’ve included a chart below that lists each experience along with the per-person cost.

Attendance for these has been very light so far, which I’m honestly not complaining about. Tonight’s tasting was held once again at the Malt Whisky Bar, and it ended up being just me, one other guest, and Emmanuel. A smaller group allows for more questions, more conversation, and a much more intimate experience than being packed into a large group.

For this tasting, we sampled four different gins, covering a pretty wide range of styles and flavor profiles. The lineup included Monkey 47, which has always been a favorite of mine, Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz, Portofino, Deux Frères 47, and then the heavy hitter, The Alpinist, which also happens to be the most expensive gin they sell onboard.

Emmanuel walked us through the history of gin, how it’s produced, and why botanicals play such a huge role in shaping its flavor. He also spent time explaining what works best when building a gin and tonic. We had an assortment of garnishes to work with, including berries, rosemary, orange peel, fresh orange slices, and dehydrated orange wheels, each chosen to complement a specific gin.

We started by tasting each gin neat, then added a single ice cube, a splash of Fever-Tree tonic, and the appropriate garnish to create a proper G&T. It was interesting to see how dramatically the flavor changed with just a few small additions. Some gins became brighter and more citrus-forward, while others leaned deeper and more herbal.

The tasting lasted about an hour, and once again, it was a great way to cap off the evening.

We’re now sailing toward our next port of call, San Juan, which just happens to be one of my favorites. We’re scheduled to arrive around 9:00am with a 6:00pm departure, so no late-night San Juan adventures this time like I had a couple of weeks ago. Still, it’s always a great stop.

Until tomorrow, thanks as always for following along.

Daily Schedule

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