Families who want classic big-ship fun at lower prices.
Think twice if: Older ship that missed its planned 2020 makeover.
See her Europe sailings ↓ · Where is she now? → · Royal Caribbean International's page for this ship →
What she's like
A floating resort with the most to do. Expect lines at boarding, the buffet and tender boats. About 44 tons of ship per guest. As a rule of thumb, 40 or more feels roomy and under 30 feels busy.
Unknown from line's site (English is the shipboard language; nationality mix on Europe sailings not published).
Our judgment, from $ (budget) to $$$$$ (ultra-luxury).
Cabin, main dining room, buffet (Windjammer) and casual venues, basic drinks (water, brewed coffee, tea, iced tea, lemonade, milk, select juices), continental room-service breakfast, entertainment, kids' clubs. NOT included: alcohol, soda, specialty dining, Wi-Fi, shore excursions, gratuities. Top 'Star Class' suites move specialty dining, a drinks package, gratuities and Wi-Fi into the fare.
Adventure Ocean kids' program for ages 3-17; nursery-age care from 6 months on some ships (line's guide: 'kids (6 months to 12 years old)'). No adults-only sailings; adults-only Solarium.
Casual by day; 'smart casual' evenings; 'Dress Your Best' (formal-optional) nights: one on 5-night cruises, two on 6-10-night cruises.
Her Europe sailings, May 2027 to October 2027
25 sailings in Europe on the published schedule, 7 to 7 nights. Tap a start port to see how to get from the airport to the ship.
Where they start
- Civitavecchia (Rome) , 8 sailings how to get there →
- Barcelona , 6 sailings how to get there →
- Ravenna , 6 sailings how to get there →
- Piraeus (Athens) , 5 sailings how to get there →
What it costs beyond the fare
| Tips for the crew | $18 per person per day; Suites: $20.5 per person per day; Added to your bill automatically |
|---|---|
| Drinks package | Deluxe Beverage Package and others sold per person per day; price varies by sailing and is shown in the Cruise Planner (no fixed published price found). 18% gratuity added automatically. Can buy online up to 72 hours before sailing or onboard on day 1. |
| Wifi | Not included. VOOM (Starlink) Wi-Fi: $16.99-$30.99 per device per day; cheaper if bought before sailing. |
| Specialty restaurants | Extra charge; 3-Night and Unlimited Dining Packages sold pre-cruise (up to 40% savings). Per-restaurant prices not published on pages checked. |
| Money on board | USD (onboard account in US dollars; other currencies converted, limit USD $950 per person per day) |
How tipping and money work on a European cruise → · Build a full trip budget →
Her restaurants · 1 included, 0 extra
| Where to eat | Cost |
|---|---|
| Café Promenade | Included |
| Chef’s Table | Not stated |
| Chops Grille | Not stated |
| Izumi | Not stated |
| Main Dining Room | Not stated |
| Windjammer | Not stated |
| Johnny Rockets | Not stated |
| Giovanni's Table | Not stated |
Which cabin to book, and which to avoid
| Cabin type | Size | Decks |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean View (deck 3 listing) | 161 sq ft | 3 |
| Interior (deck 3 listing) | 160 sq ft | 3 |
Good to know before you pick
- Deck 10 midship cabins sit under the Deck 11 pools and outdoor screen
- Deck 10 aft cabins sit under the Deck 11 Windjammer
- Deck 12 forward suites sit around the Vitality at Sea Spa
- Deck 3 forward cabins are beside the Palace Theatre; Deck 3 midship-aft cabins beside Studio B and the ice rink
- Accessible (wheelchair icon) cabins are marked on decks 2, 6, 7, 9 and 10
If you use a wheelchair or walk with difficulty
Royal Caribbean's deck plan marks accessible staterooms and offers accessible versions of cabin types (count not published on the page). Accessible cabins have 32-34 inch doors, no threshold, roll-in showers; request at booking; special-needs form at least 30 days before sailing. Tender policy for wheelchair users not found on pages checked. Elevators: ELEV. marked at a forward bank and a bank aft of midship on decks 2-14; Deck 15 none marked Our accessibility guide →
Find your way around
Our own deck plans, drawn from the line's official plan: tap a deck to see it from above, with what's at the front, middle and back of the ship. Use “Find on board” to light up every deck with a pool, a bar or a restaurant. Not to scale.
- Deck 15 , Skylight Chapel
- Deck 14 , Dizzy's; Izumi; Crown Lounge; Viking Crown Lounge
- Deck 13 , Rock Climbing Wall; Sports Court; Explorer Dunes (mini golf); The Perfect Storm (waterslides); FlowRider
- Deck 12 , Vitality at Sea Spa; Sky Bar; Running Track; Video Arcade; Optix Teen Disco; Adventure Ocean; Johnny Rockets; Outdoor Youth Area
- Deck 11 , Vitality at Sea Fitness Center; Solarium, Solarium pool and whirlpools; Solarium Bar; Pool Bar; Sea Trek Dive Shop; Swimming pools and whirlpools; Outdoor Screen; Chops Grille; Windjammer
- Deck 10 , Cabins
- Deck 9 , Concierge Club; Cabins
- Deck 8 , RC Online; Cabins
- Deck 7 , Library; Cabins
- Deck 6 , Next Cruise; Cabins
- Deck 5 , Observation Deck / Outdoor Deck; Star Lounge; Connoisseur Club; Cafe Promenade; Royal Promenade and Promenade Shops; Ice Cream Parlor; Crown & Kettle Pub; Shore Excursions; Guest Services; R Bar; Sapphire Dining Room
- Deck 4 , The Palace Theatre; Schooner Bar; Giovanni's Table; Casino Royale; Bar; The Tavern; Centrum; Art Gallery; Sapphire Dining Room
- Deck 3 , The Palace Theatre (lower level); Center Ice Rink; Studio B; RCTV; Focus (photo); Sapphire Dining Room (lower level)
- Deck 2 , Loyalty Desk; Conference Center
What to book, and when
Booking, check-in and reservations
App check-in is available up to the morning of boarding (opening date not found). Beverage packages bookable online up to 72 hours before sailing. Deposit: 10% of fare or the standard deposit, whichever is higher; $500 per person for 15+ night cruises. Assistance requests 30 days before; sign-language interpreting 60 days.
Paying and cancelling
Cancellation charges follow the standard policy for your sailing; non-refundable-deposit fares lose the deposit. Exact day thresholds not published from the pages checked.
Tips for her Europe sailings
Summer 2027 Freedom of the Seas from Southampton; Barcelona and Rome (Civitavecchia) round-trips. Onboard currency exchange limited; carry euros for ports.
The ship in numbers
- Cruise line
- Royal Caribbean International
- Kind of ship
- Mass-market
- Built
- 2000
- Last refit
- 2020
- Guests
- 3,114
- Crew
- 1,180
- Guest decks
- 15
- Gross tons
- 138,194
- Length
- 312 m (1,025 ft)
- Width
- 48 m (158 ft)
- Flag
- Bahamas
- Class
- Voyager class
- Ship number
- IMO 9161728
- Sister ships
- Mariner of the Seas
- In Europe 2026–27
- Western Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean & Greek Isles, Adriatic
Highlights
- Voyager-class ship with an indoor Royal Promenade
- Planned 2020 'amplification' was cancelled; only a technical refit took place
- About 3,286 guests at double occupancy
More pictures
Sources & what we could not confirm · 13 sources · checked 2026-11
- Royal Caribbean: Explorer of the Seas ship page
- Royal Caribbean: Explorer of the Seas deck plans (ship profile data: length/beam in feet, crew, speed)
- Wikipedia: Explorer of the Seas (secondary)
- VesselFinder vessel record (registry: flag, gross tonnage, year)
- Royal Caribbean: What is included on a cruise
- Royal Caribbean FAQ: dress code
- Royal Caribbean FAQ: beverage packages
- Royal Caribbean FAQ: deposit requirements
- Royal Caribbean: designated smoking areas (UK site)
- Royal Caribbean: accessible cruises guide
- Royal Caribbean FAQ: local port currency (UK site)
- Royal Caribbean FAQ: children and teen activities
- CruiseTimetables.com: Explorer of the Seas schedule (independent listing)
- Crew count from Wikipedia (not on Royal Caribbean profile)
- Dining cost marked only where the ship page says complimentary; other venues left blank (cost not stated on the pages read)
- Deck plan venue labels are drawn as images (SVG paths), so per-deck venues could not be read
- Beam is Royal Caribbean's published figure, which appears to be maximum width including bridge wings
- 2020 work was technical only; last full refurbishment was 2015 (Wikipedia)
- Royal Caribbean International: Drinks package price (dynamic, not published)
- Royal Caribbean International: Online check-in opening date
- Royal Caribbean International: Final payment date and cancellation penalty schedule
- Royal Caribbean International: Wheelchair tender policy
- Royal Caribbean International: Nationality mix on Europe sailings
- Deck plan: Cabin sizes came only from the deck 3 room listing in the page data
- Deck plan: Mariner of the Seas assumed to match as sister; its plan files were not compared