One of the two largest cruise ships in the world, Explorer of the Seas, like Voyager of the Seas before her, pretty much smashed the 100,000 ton mark that had been broached by Grand Princess in 1999.

The following is a tour of the ship, what I could see in four exhausting hours on September 1, 2001.

The Explorer of the Seas is a hard ship to photograph! Get too far away and you'll see no detail -- too close and the ship won't all fit in the frame!
	The ship's superstructure is an impressive accumulation of verandahs and glazed-in public rooms and activity decks. Note to the upper right a pair of window cleaners on the permanently mounted scaffolding required to keep the glass clean.
My initial impression of Explorer of the Seas was of an attractive but oddly claustrophobic vessel, but after a puzzled few minutes I found out that they had been testing the fire doors, and as I boarded they were all in closed position. With the heavy doors in their usual open state, this stairwell is bright and bustling, with several decks of activity visible at once.
	Finally daring to open one of the doors by myself (this tour was completely unguided, and I had no idea what lay behind: machinery space? angry maitre d'?) I encountered this comfortable corridor, curved to match the forward cabins on Deck Six.
The Library was just one of the appealing smaller rooms aboard. A variety of pretty wood surfaces (one would assume very thin veneer), and some very Scandanavian nautical details, make this a room I would like to visit often.
	When I first saw the Royal Promenade it took my breath away. A groundbreaking development in cruise ship interiors, this colorful "horizontal atrium" is a center of passenger activity at all hours of the day.
One end of the Royal Promenade, showing the degree to which the ship is designed to encourage passenger movement by luring the eye and foot to different areas on the many public room decks. Just above the wooden floor is a boat-like readers' nook in the Library.
	The Library nook from closeup. Only on closer examination did I note the scratches on the wood floor (barely visible to the left), a rare instance of wear and tear in this sparklingly new ship.
The marble flooring at the entrance to the Columbus Dining Room is a suitably elegant prelude to what lies on the other side of those doors. The "5" display is a deck plan, just one feature which made Explorer surprisingly easy to move around in.
	Three levels of dining room. It's a stunning space, dramatically staged in a classic "liner manner."
Details, details. Sensibly divided into more intimate, individually named dining rooms on each level, the dining room overall is a feast of sensuous curves and grand style.
	The Dining Room ceiling echoes the "circle" refrain from the Norway's Windward, but the columns and sun motif are a new variation on Explorer.
Further down in the ship is Studio B, the first-ever (in sister Voyager of the Seas) ice skating rink at sea.
	And here, ladies and gentlemen, is a rare view of a sea-going zamboni. The rink at Studio B is massive, featuring ice shows and passenger skating on the off-hours.
The garish seating areas surrounding the rink in Studio B were the only part of Explorer that I didn't like. Something about that shade of purple is not my cup of tea.
	A new development at sea, here is the very sophisticated control room for closed-circuit television to passenger cabins.
Outdoor facilities on Explorer are scaled large as well. This is one of two pool areas, with broad stretches of deck chairs for lolling under the Caribbean sun.
	The same area, looking aft towards the Royal Caribbean trademark Viking Crown Lounge. It's interesting to remember that the Line's first ships had this space as a true appendage to the funnel, accessed by a narrow staircase.
One deck down, the Spa takes a Roman theme.
	The Spa is split over two levels; private massage rooms on top and a whirlpool bath area below.
On this same lower level is a beauty salon that would rival anything on shore.
	Carrying forward the Roman theme, the Solarium with columns and tile floor.
Closer to the Viking Crown Lounge, which in Explorer's case is divided up into multiple areas. Can you imagine trying to find a companion amidst all these deck chairs? "I'll meet you by the pool" could become a lot more complicated a plan than one might think.
	The largest of the lounges in Viking Crown is Dizzy's, dedicated to the great bebop trumpeter. The deco look is anachronistic, considering the fact that Dizzy Gillespie made his mark beginning in the late 1940s, but it's an attractive room nonetheless.
Another angle on Dizzy's, showing the generous stage and seating areas.
	Higher even than Dizzy's, at the very top of the Viking Crown, is an intimate Chapel, which can seat 60. Billed as "the perfect place to say 'I do'," this is a pretty space that manages to be completely non-sectarian.
With two kinds of skating rinks, a putt-putt course and driving range, even a rock climbing wall, Explorer accomodates my own favorite game with this basketball court.
	The entrance to Portofino, one of the many dining options on board, and the only extra-fare restaurant available. For $20 passengers can eat at this most exclusive enclave.
The insider's view of Portofino.
	Portofino entrance.
Without a deck plan in hand I wandered happily in and out. The Miami sun was broiling and when I came in to cool off I could look down the length of the atrium. Curved staircases are a favorite decorative feature for me, and Explorer is full of them.
	Down to "earth" at the bottom of the area pictured above. The blue screens and passengers in the background are the Purser's desk area, which was bustling like a bank on payday.
With 3000 passengers offering the ultimate economy of scale in cruising today, Explorer is the epitome of what Bruce Peter calls the "Profitmax" class of ship. There are lots of opportunities to spend your money on board, and the casino has to be the biggest taker. The plexiglas floor at the entrance presents an alluring display of (presumably fake) gold bars, jewel chests, and strings of pearls, riches which for most passengers remain just as far from reach.
	The Schooner Bar. The arched doorway on the left is the entrance to The Chamber, Explorer's disco, which is scientifically (and efficiently) located well within the confines of the public rooms area, away from sleeping passengers.
With so much interior space, and glass wind screens shielding the upper pool decks, on Explorer, like so many modern cruise ships, there aren't that many places to look out directly onto the sea. Here's the shaded boat deck.
	The promenading passenger can work his/her way far forward to the forecastle and look back at the bridge for a striking reprise of the Viking Crown look.
Inside the ship once again, I plunged into the plush dark vastness of the theater. For comparison with what used to be considered a large seagoing theater, click here for a view of the same room on Norway/France.
	The Boat Deck promenade, pier side. This is the gangplank where passengers were beginning to arrive.
Classic grand stairway.
	One odd concept occasionally used as a selling point for cruises is the availablility of business facilities ("And now if you'll just put down your Mai Tais and turn to Chapter Six in your binders we'll view the chart for amortization of hard assets ..."). Explorer of the Seas had a warren of quite appealing conference rooms for those who want to mix business with pleasure, or try ...
Inside the Conference Center. Door to either side lead to the conference rooms.
	A corridor deep within the ship, passenger cabins to either side.
The Centrum from its lowest reaches. Elevators whisk passengers through eight decks of open space, and open stairways sweep out over the chasm.
	The Schooner Bar on Deck Six.
Part of the amazing honeycomb of stairways around the Centrum. You can see in the background actual paying passengers beginning to come on board.
	A table setting in one of the main dining rooms. I took this photo partly because I was impressed by the amount of silverware at each place, but Norway had even more.
One section of lobby with elevators.
	A deck plan on glass outside one of the Centrum elevators.
The ship's aft Centrum.
	On deck once again, the graceful curve of a verandah deck draws the mind to the circle theme once again.
What did I see? The sea, behind a thick pane of glass and a hundred feet away. This is a corner of the pool deck.
	The same section on the other side of the ship, viewed from an open area.
A cozy pub on the Royal Promenade.
	A corner of the Champagne Bar.
The entrance to the Champagne Bar, also accessible off the Royal Promenade.
	Passengers consulting with the Purser staff. A prominently posted notice stated that the ship was full and that no cabin changes would be possible. Do they always say that?
The entrance to the Library.
	The entrance to the Internet Cafe, now a necessity on a cruise ship.
Inside the Internet Cafe. The open well looks down into the Library.
As may be deduced from this lengthy discourse, I quite liked Explorer of the Seas. She offered a brilliant array of recreational possibilities, and seemed to handle her crowds well. By the time I was done with my tour, passenger boarding was in full swing, and yet I never felt the ship to be crowded. And her details showed a real sense of style. To close with for example, a few light fixtures ...
End of tour. To see more you'll have to book her. Try the Royal Caribbean website.