MS Explorer of the Seas

MS "Explorer of the Seas" is one of five Voyager-class cruise ships from Royal Caribbean International. It can handle over 3100 guests, including scientists making use of a built-in atmospheric and oceanographic laboratory operated by the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Voyager-class ships are the third largest passenger ships in the world, after Cunard's Queen Mary 2 and Royal Caribbean's own Freedom Class.

Activities include:

*Rock climbing wall
*Roller skating
*Nine-hole miniature golf course
*Ping-Pong Tables
*Shuffleboard Court
*Golf simulators
*Full-sized basketball court
*Adventure Ocean youth facilities

Other amenities

*Casino
*Three-story main dining room
*Windjammer Café
*Restaurants such as Johnny Rockets (1950s-style) and Portofino (Italian)
*Themed bars and lounges
*Swimming pools and hot tubs
*Day spa and Fitness Center
*Library and "Royal Caribbean Online" Internet access
*Wedding chapel

Sea Rescue

On February 16, 2008, while on-route from Bayonne, New Jersey, for a nine day cruise to the Caribbean the bridge crew heard a faint mayday over the radio. This turned out to be the crew from the "Tumbleweed", a 40 foot sailboat, who had a planned sail from Baltimore to the Florida Keys. The crew apparently had a mechanical breakdown of both engine and sails. They drifted for 11 days to the location N32.35 W 72.49 (roughly 275 miles southeast east of North Carolina. The crew of the "Explorer of the Seas" located the craft and executed a perfect rescue of the three men. The rescued men departed the ship in Puerto Rico on February 21, 2008.

External links

* [http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/ships/class/ship/home.do?br=R&shipClassCode=VY&shipCode=EX RCI]
* [http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/rccl/ RSMAS/RCCL] - University of Miami's Ocean Labs on Explorer of the Seas
* [http://www.voyager-class.com Voyager-Class.com] - the largest online resource for information & pictures of the Voyager-class ships
* [http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/rccl/ Research website for the onboard laboratory]
* [http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/06/24/Scienceship/ June 2004 article about the ship and lab] from CNN
* [http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_063223541.html Article about the Norovirus outbreak] from CBS 4 Miami