Explora Journeys Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 6: December 17, 2025

Another day, another port of call!  Today is day 6 onboard the beautiful Explora I from Explora Journeys, MSC Cruise’s new-ish luxury line.  Before getting into today, let’s do a quick recap of where we’ve been so far, because the cruise is starting to stack up port days quickly.

We kicked things off in Miami, and then after two back-to-back sea days, made our first stop in La Romana, followed by San Juan, where I had big plans and Mother Nature laughed and dumped flash-flood rain on all of them. And now here we are on our third port of call, Basseterre, St. Kitts. And thankfully, the weather behaved itself all day long.

Explora I arrived right around 8:00am, and guests were cleared to go ashore shortly after.

In St. Kitts, ships dock at Port Zante, which is one of those ports I like mainly because there’s enough to do within the gates of the port that you don’t have to meander out into town unless you want to (and honestly, you don’t want to). It also doesn’t require a long hike or shuttle just to get off the ship, although the port does run electric carts from the shopping area to the ships, at the cost of $1 per person, plus tip.  There are big signs in each of these shuttles that SHOUT that at you. The pier can accommodate multiple ships at the same time, and today we were joined by Norwegian Breakaway and Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas.

Quick fun fact: while we’re ship-spotting, because people ask this all the time. On the stern of Brilliance of the Seas, you’ll see the letters GTV. That stands for Gas Turbine Vessel, which refers to the propulsion system used on that class of ship. You’ll see it on Brilliance and a few others in the Radiance class, but not across Royal Caribbean’s entire fleet.

Once you step off the ship at Port Zante, you’re immediately in a small area with shops and services, and from there it’s an easy walk straight into downtown Basseterre. No taxis required if you just want to explore the city itself.

Getting to know St. Kitts

St. Kitts is the smallest independent nation in the Western Hemisphere, both in land area and population. People have lived here for over 5,000 years, and it was the first Caribbean island to be settled by Europeans.  It wasn’t until recent history, 1983 in fact, that the island became independent. The capital city, Basseterre, sits on the southwest coast and blends Caribbean life with British influences. Even the layout of the city reflects that, right down to The Circus, a traffic roundabout modeled after Piccadilly Circus in London.

If history is your thing, you can head to Brimstone Hill Fortress, a stone fort perched high above the island. It’s one of the best-preserved historic fortifications in the Caribbean and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.   Another popular stop is Romney Manor, a former sugar plantation with deep ties to the island’s past.

For something a little different, there’s the St. Kitts Scenic Railway, which runs along an old sugar cane route. It’s a relaxed, bumpy, janky way to see large portions of the island without committing to hiking or long bus rides, and it’s especially popular with guests who want a sit-back-and-enjoy experience.  Just keep in mind it’s definitely NOT a comfortable excursion, as I heard many people complaining about it.

If you’re more into beaches, while there are none within walking distance of the port, several are just a short taxi ride away. Frigate Bay is the most popular, while Friar’s Bay and beaches on the southeast side are also popular but take longer to get to.

St. Kitts really isn’t my kind of place when it comes to wandering around aimlessly on foot. If you stick right in Port Zante, it’s perfectly fine. There are plenty of shops, a handful of restaurants, bars, and more than enough opportunities for people-watching. You can grab a drink, sit for a bit, and people watch, which is always fun.

Once you start heading away from the port, though, things change pretty quickly. You can wander around, and I did, but I don’t recommend going too far. The deeper you go into town, the more sketchy it starts to feel, and it’s not a place where I ever find myself wanting to spend hours exploring neighborhood after neighborhood. All told, I was probably out walking around for about 45 minutes, and that was more than enough for me.

If you do decide to head out on foot, all the usual rules apply, and they apply here more than in some other ports. No jewelry, no fancy watches, keep your wallet in your front pocket, purse zipped and close to your body, and stay very aware of what’s going on around you. Streets can be tight, sidewalks are hit or miss and sometimes completely nonexistent, open drainage runs along the sides of roads, and there’s uneven pavement everywhere. Add in some steep streets and it’s just not the most comfortable place to walk around casually.

This is one of those ports where, every time I visit, I come back onboard feeling thankful that I live where I live. It’s not meant as an insult, it’s just reality. This isn’t a polished, pedestrian-friendly place built for wandering like Old San Juan. St. Kitts works much better as an excursion port or a stay-right-by-the-ship port for me.

One quick note for crew members or anyone just looking for familiar food. There’s a KFC directly across the street from the port, and a Domino’s Pizza nearby as well. Those places were getting plenty of traffic, especially from crew, and it’s good to know they’re there.

La Casa del Habano, St Kitts

After wandering around a bit, I stopped by a place I always visit when I’m in St. Kitts and where I ended up sending quite a few fellow passengers today: La Casa del Habano.

La Casa del Habano has cigar stores around the world and they’re franchises of the Cuban government, which is important because it means one thing: only Cuban cigars. No Dominicans. No Connecticut wrappers. No “Cuban-style.” Just the real deal.

Here in St. Kitts, it’s ridiculously easy to find. Once you walk off the ship and pass through the port entrance, it’s immediately on the right-hand side, up on the second floor of the building next to the Hard Rock Cafe. You can’t miss it.

Inside, there’s a humidor stocked with all kinds of Cuban cigars, including hand-rolled cigars made right there on site. The leaf is flown in from Cuba, rolled in-house, then placed in a freezer for three days to kill off any pests before being moved into the humidor for sale. It’s a cool process to see and definitely adds to the experience.

There’s also a lounge and a full-service bar offering beer, Cuban rum, cocktails, and everything you’d want while enjoying a cigar. It’s honestly just a great place to hang out, relax, and escape the heat for a bit.

If you’re even remotely into cigars, this is the place to go in St. Kitts. The staff, who are all Cuban as well, are friendly, knowledgeable, and more than happy to help you pick out cigars whether you’re buying for now, later, or to take home.

I picked up a few of their hand-rolled cigars along with some Cohiba special editions, and prices were very reasonable for what you’re getting. One important tip if you’re arriving by ship: show your ship card. Doing that exempts you from the local 17% tax on cigars, which adds up quickly. You’ll still pay the tax on bar drinks, but not on the cigars themselves, and that’s a nice savings.

All in all, it’s one of my must-stop spots every time I’m here, and once again, it didn’t disappoint.

FINALLY! Dinner at Marble & Company Grill on Explora Journeys

All aboard tonight was once again 5:30pm, and we actually departed a few minutes early.

If you read yesterday’s report, you already know about my ongoing frustration with getting dinner reservations due to Explora Journeys’… let’s call it aggrovating reservation policy for Marble & Company Grill (the steakhouse) and Sakura (the Asian restaurant). The short version is this: once you make a reservation for either of those restaurants, you can’t make another until that reservation is completed, and only if there’s future availability. In my case, I made a reservation for Christmas Day, which is still a ways off, and that completely locked me out of making any additional reservations.

Every night, I tried for a walk-up. Every night, I was told the same thing: “No, we’re full.” No suggestions. No “check back in 20 minutes.” No solving to yes. Just… no. I’m not going to rehash the entire rant here, because I already did that in the Day 5 report, but it’s been a real pain point.

That said, tonight I finally had a reservation at Marble & Company Grill.

After enjoying a refreshing Aperol Spritz (and by the way, on Explora they don’t add club soda, it’s just Aperol and bubbles – DELICIOUS!), I made my way to the restaurant for my 8:00pm reservation. I arrived right on time and was taken to a table for two along the window. My server came over, introduced himself, took my drink order, and a few minutes later, a bread basket magically appeared.

I included a menu below that’s pulled directly from the Explora app, but I’ll note that it’s not an exact match for what’s currently being served onboard. The steaks are now U.S. beef, the weights are listed in ounces instead of grams, and most everything else remains the same. I didn’t realize the discrepancy until I sat down to write this, so I’ll update with a current menu later.

Marble & Company Grill Dinner Menu

Once my cocktail arrived, my server came back to walk me through the menu. I decided to put him to the test and asked, “If you were me, what would you order tonight?” Without hesitation, he recommended the signature appetizer, crushed fingerling potatoes & Normandy butter with chives, Calvisius Oscietra caviar, and crème fraîche.

He followed that with a salad that wasn’t listed on the menu, made with mixed greens, green apples, radishes, sesame seeds, and a light vinaigrette. For the main course, his recommendation was a 16 oz T-bone, paired with Brussels sprouts and Franck’s mashed potatoes.

I didn’t question any of it. I told him, “Let’s run with it,” and that’s exactly what we did.

The signature potato and caviar appetizer was absolutely incredible. Small bites of potato coated in rich butter with that slightly salty pop from the caviar, served with the traditional tiny caviar spoon. Simple and so indulgent, but it was probably the entire calorie allotment a human should have in a single day all in three bites.

The salad was… well, a salad. Fresh, crisp, and fine.

The steak, though, was the star. Cooked medium rare, tender, well-seasoned, and exactly what I’ve been wanting all week. The Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes rounded out the plate nicely, and everything just worked.

When it came time for dessert, I let him choose again, and he went with the Explora Journeys signature chocolate brownie – caramel, fleur de sel, Madagascan vanilla sauce, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Dense, rich, decadent, and a perfect way to end what I’m calling the best meal of the cruise so far.

Service was outstanding from start to finish, with not one but two different managers stopping by throughout the meal to check in and see how things were going. I don’t know if that was related to the conversation and complaint I mentioned yesterday or not, but everything was running smoothly tonight.

Now, one final observation about getting into this restaurant.

This is something I normally wouldn’t even mention, and I’m only bringing it up after being told “no, we’re full” for five straight nights. There were officers dining in the restaurant tonight with their spouses or girlfriends. I get it, they’re officers, and they can do what they want. But when a guest can’t get into a restaurant night after night… I’m just going to leave that right there and zip my lip.

Take it for what it’s worth.

Evening Entertainment

After dinner, I decided to check out the evening’s entertainment over in the Journeys Lounge. Tonight’s offering was a game of Yes/No, where the entertainment host pulled guests from the audience and fired off a series of questions. The catch? The guests had to answer without using the words yes or no, couldn’t nod their head, and just to make things more interesting, the host couldn’t use those words either.

If a guest managed to survive three minutes of Q&A without slipping up, they were declared a winner. No prizes, just bragging rights.

It was quirky. It was a little odd. And honestly, it was kind of entertaining in a “what is going on?” sort of way. Not bad, not amazing, just… different. Which I guess fits the overall Explora vibe.

Once that wrapped up, I headed up to the Malt Whisky Bar for a final gin and tonic to cap off the evening, then called it a night.

We’re currently sailing toward our next port of call, which is a new one for me – Les Trois-Îlets, Martinique. Explora I is scheduled to arrive around 9:00am, and we’ll be anchoring offshore and using the ship’s tenders to get back and forth. More on that tomorrow.

Until then, as always, thanks for following along.

Daily Schedule

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