Explorer IN, Adventure OUT

Change of plan for Royal Caribbean in the UK – Adventure of the Seas is being replaced on its Southampton sailings by sister ship Explorer of the Seas from next year.
They are virtually identical Voyager-class vessels, each carrying 3,114 passengers. Adventure first entered service in 2001, Explorer a year earlier.
Before arriving in the UK next April, Explorer will spend a month in dry dock for an overhaul and “refreshment,” during which it will be fitted with a Flowrider surf simulator and a 3D cinema.
Several of the speciality restaurants familiar on Royal Caribbean’s newer vessels will also be added, and the ship’s inside cabins will be equipped with virtual balconies – wall-sized screens providing a real-time image of the view outside the ship.
Explorer already has a Royal Promenade shopping mall, ice rink and rock climbing wall – features that are now commonplace on Royal Caribbean’s fleet.
The ship will operate three and eight-night Northern Europe itineraries, 11 to 16-night Mediterranean voyages, and 10-14-night sailings to Madeira and the Canary Islands. Adventure of the Seas will now remain in the Caribbean, sailing seven-night southern Caribbean cruises from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Explorer will be joined in the UK by brand new Anthem of the Seas operating from Southampton, and Brilliance of the Seas from Harwich.