Explorer of the Seas
Voyager Class · Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
// ABOUT THE SHIP
About the Ship
Explorer of the Seas is a Voyager-class cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, originally launched in 2000 (26 years ago). She is one of 31 active ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet and sails alongside 4 sister ships in the Voyager class. The ship underwent her most recent renovation in 2023, which included updates to onboard features and spaces.
Deck Plans – 14 Decks to explore
Explorer of the Seas spans 14 passenger-accessible decks with 1,643 staterooms and 62 onboard venues — including 29 activities, 12 bars & lounges, 11 dining, and 10 shopping. Explore every level from bow to stern using the interactive deck plans below.
PASSENGER DECKS
14
guest-accessible decks
STATEROOMS
1,643
cabins across all categories
VENUES ONBOARD
62venues
BY TYPE
Explorer of the Seas Cruises
Explorer of the Seas offers 3 sailings in June, ranging 7 nights, departing from Ravenna, Italy, starting from $872 / guest.
Cabins – 1,643 staterooms
Explorer of the Seas has a total of 1,643 cabins throughout its 14 passenger decks. Those are made up of 616 Interior, 228 Ocean View, 678 Balcony and 121 Suite cabins. The 28 stateroom categories that make up these 4 cabin types are found below, along with counts for each.
// SHIP CLASS
Voyagerclass
YEARS
1999–2003
AVG SIZE
138k GT
AVG LENGTH
1,020 ft
AVG CAPACITY
3,217
Royal Caribbean’s Voyager Class is known for its size. They’re the 6th largest in the world behind the Oasis, Quantum and Freedom Classes. Some defining features of the Voyager Class include the ice skating rink, Royal Promenade and Flowrider surf Simulator.
Things to do
Explorer of the Seas features 59 venues across 14 decks, including 28 activity, 12 bar, 9 dining, 5 other and 5 shopping. Explore every onboard experience from dining and entertainment to pools, fitness and more.
// AGE & RENOVATIONS
Explorer of the Seas ship age vs the fleet
Built in 2000 and last renovated in 2023, Explorer of the Seas is 26 years old. The fleet average age is 16 years. She is newer than 17% of the 31-ship fleet, ranking #26 from newest to oldest.
THIS SHIP
Age at a glance
BUILT
2000
26 years old today
LAST RENOVATED
2023
3 yrs ago
FLEET AVERAGE
16 yrs
10 older
NEWER THAN
17%
of fleet
FLEET RANK
#26
of 31
FLEET RANKING
By age, newest to oldest
Out of 31 ships in the fleet, Explorer of the Seas ranks #26 when sorted from newest to oldest by build year.
AGE BENCHMARKS
Explorer of the Seas vs the fleet
SHIP RENOVATIONS
Last major refit
LAST RENOVATED
2023
3 years ago
The planned "Amplification" renovations to the Explorer of the Seas were postponed, but it received a significant technical dry dock in 2023. These updates included hull painting, mechanical overhauls, and localized cosmetic refreshes. It currently features many "Voyager-class" staples like the FlowRider and ice-skating rink, though it lacks the newer waterslides.
How big is Explorer of the Seas?
Compare the Explorer of the Seas ship size with the rest of the Royal Caribbean fleet below. Included, you'll find gross tonnage, length, and the relationship between the two graphed in the scatter plot.
Explorer of the Seas measures 137,308 GT and 1,020 ft in length. The average size of a Royal Caribbean ship is 163k gross tons and the average ship length is 1,085 ft. Explorer of the Seas is 16% smaller and 6% shorter than the average ship in the fleet.
// THIS SHIP
137k GT
EXPLORER OF THE SEAS
// AVERAGE
163k GT
FLEET AVERAGE
// LARGEST
251k GT
HERO OF THE SEAS
// SMALLEST
74k GT
GRANDEUR OF THE SEAS
// PROPORTIONAL AREA · 31 SHIPS · TOTAL 5053K GT
EACH CIRCLE'S AREA IS PROPORTIONAL TO GROSS TONNAGE · HOVER FOR DETAILS
// CAPACITY
Passenger Capacity
The Explorer of the Seas carries up to 3,286 guests and operates at roughly 100% capacity, so you can expect that number will accurately reflect your fellow passenger count. These guests are looked after by a crew of 1,185 staff members, representing a guest-to-crew ratio of 2.8:1. On average, Royal Caribbean ships have 3,708 guests and 1,400 crew, which works out to a fleet-average ratio of 2.6:1.
// GUESTS
3,286
at full occupancy
// CREW
1,185
international staff
// RATIO// GUEST-TO-CREW
2.8:1
service ratio
// 4,471 PEOPLE ABOARD AT FULL CAPACITY
// CRUISE DIRECTOR
Your Cruise Director
Your Explorer of the Seas cruise director is the heartbeat of the ship... the person responsible for onboard entertainment, activities, and guest engagement from embarkation to farewell. Think emcee, social director, and morale officer rolled into one. Here's who's current cruise director for the Explorer of the Seas and the available schedule for past and future sailings.
CURRENT · ONBOARD NOW
Chris Gruby
Cruise Director
Chris Gruby is a Royal Caribbean cruise director known for his upbeat delivery, strong crowd engagement, and easy rapport with guests across large and mid-size ships.
VIEW FULL PROFILE// CAME ONBOARD
Mar 1, 2026
3 months ago
// ASSIGNED THROUGH
Jul 31, 2026
per current contract
// CRUISE DIRECTOR SCHEDULE
// 10 · FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About the Explorer of the Seas
FAQs for the Explorer of the Seas. Here are the most popular questions asked by our community members regarding this Royal Caribbean ship.
// TOTAL QUESTIONS
10
Tap a question to expand its answer. Answers update automatically based on live cruise data.
Still have questions?
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Ask the communityResearched and assembled by Gangwaze Cruise Editorial using daily-refreshed ship and fleet data.
LAST UPDATED · JUNE 11, 2026