This ship has a very nice feel. On entry to the ship a large reception area with a huge reception desk reminiscent of a nice old-fashioned English hotel greets you. It is not a 5 star ship but it has lots of comfortable spaces with overstuffed chairs and wonderful conversation areas. The bars are well planned and offer gracious and welcoming sitting areas. The ambiance reminds of me English décor, some oriental carpets, and lots of wood and light airy rooms.  With only carrying half the capacity of passengers for Antarctica trips, there is ample room for everyone in the lounges. 
 

 
Dining Experience: An executive chef from a Regent ship is moved to the Explorer II for the two-chartered cruises. Since the staff for this ship and the staff for the Regent and Silversea ships are all hired through the same source, there is a high percentage of Filipino crew and there will be some that have done contracts on Regent or Silversea ships.  On our trip this was one of the best crews we have ever experienced. Within a day they seemed to know everyone's name and usual drink orders. You could see they made a point of learning this in the first few days. Happy, fun and relaxed crew that really added a lot to the entire experience.

Main Dining Room: Pictures below show the décor which is definitely old world English.  Heavy woods, strong red and blue colors with huge chandeliers dominate the room. The windows on either side of the dining room add just the right amount of light.  It is a very pleasant room and has a substantial feel. Sample Dining Rooms Menus - Link to Dinner Menu  Link to Lunch Menu  Link to BBQ Lunch

Verandah Restaurant
Lunch on board is served in the casual restaurant Verandah, and we were quite pleased.  There is a carving station, along with a huge variety of salads, vegetables and desserts. We had a waiter that had waited on us on the Navigator, so that was very pleasant.  The wine was freely flowing.  The Verandah is a nice airy restaurant with lots of light streaming in from the windows. It is long and narrow with a variety of table sizes.  Every day you can order a burger if you prefer it to the items on the buffet. They also often feature an outdoor barbeque. Some were truly outstanding.  One day we had all the lobster you could eat and beque. Some were truly outstanding.  One day we had all the lobster you could eat and beque. Some were truly outstanding.  One day we had all the lobster you could eat and it was some  of the best lobster I have ever eaten.