Grandeur of the Seas, January 14-23, 2017

We are leaving on the Grandeur next Monday,Jan. 23. I will report back. I am happy to go before dry dock. We went on the Infinity just when it came out of dry dock. What happened there is that they still weren't finished and lots of work was still going on. The ship was really dirty from all the refurburishment.

 

I will report back after Feb. 4. This is a 12 night Caribbean cruise that we are going on,

For you or Roy...I will board the Grandeur for 12 nights on March 27 and am curious if anyone on board knows when this ship will have the new MDR menus? I would also be curious as to which 12 menus are used if the current menus are still in effect.

Laura

Laura, I may or may not get back to you on the new menus. It's probably better if wendyatpml can answer about the 12-day cruises.

We just had an announcement about our Port Canaveral plans. Most of the tours including my Kennedy Space Center tour are cancelled. I had told my table I likely would not be back in time for dinner tonight so have decided that this is a good night to visit Chops.

Having many problems today on the ship; it must be awful for the crew.

Roy

I am definitely enjoying your review. Thank you for sharing with all of us.

Question: Is there any word on the refurb and what will be done? Doesn't seem to be much information yet.

Thanks again.

 

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/theramp.jpg

 

You didn't have to go up that ramp and that back down to get onboard, did you?

You didn't have to go up that ramp and that back down to get onboard, did you?

No, the ramp is still just sitting idle. Actually, when I sailed the Anthem in June I saw it sitting like that as I drove past on I95 and thought it might be about ready to go back in service but it wasn't. I walked through the white tent like structure beside the ramp and then to the ship on the crosswalk marked on the pavement.

Charleston was a bit annoying. Starting in the terminal it was up a flight of stairs to the equivalent of about deck 1 1/2, then up a long ramp to board on deck 4 before going back down to my cabin on deck 2.

Roy

Thanks Roy for keeping us up to date on the happenings aboard her.

BTW, can you check if 2 older gentlemen are still on board. Cyrus in the WJ and if William is still the bowsin? Thanks.

Evie

Rafinmd,

Do you know who the Concierge is in the Diamond Lounge as well as the Concierge Lounge ?

Thank you for your great review of the cruise and posting of the menus . :)

We leave next week on Grandeur. Received an email from Francis (Concierge) today. Don't know the Concierge in the Diamond Lounge.

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We leave next week on Grandeur. Received an email from Francis (Concierge) today. Don't know the Concierge in the Diamond Lounge

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Thank you !:)

Current Concierge in the Diamond Lounge is Amit Chattoadhyay.

Roy

Current Concierge in the Diamond Lounge is Amit Chattoadhyay.

 

Roy

Thanks ! Enjoy the rest of your cruise. :)

When I went on deck for coffee about 5:30 2 things were very clear, (1) it was very windy, and (2) we were not going to be at Port Canaveral at 10:30. Bobby was saying “on time” on the morning show but I think that is taped at midnight. In his departure message I think Captain Thor mentioned favorable currents, perhaps the currents turned out to be unfavorable. By my GPS we were doing about 16 knots.

It was quite cloudy about 7:10AM but we did have our first identifiable sunrise.

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The Diamond Club offers Continental Breakfast each morning. It’s not my choice in breakfast but I do kind of snack my way through it and have generally popped in there for an English Muffin around 9.

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The site of the lifeboat incident (I reported boat 3 but it’s actually boat 5 in muster station 3) has been pretty well secured. While the entire deck had been roped off yesterday the ropes have been moved so it is now possible to walk past the missing boat.

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The official acknowledgment of our delayed arrival came about 9:30 and several tours, including mine, were cancelled just after 10.

We entered the port about 1:00 and people started leaving around 2. The last time or 2 I’ve been here I’ve noticed the Exploration Tower but never had a chance to stop. It’s about a half mile walk from the ship.

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The tower has 7 levels although one of them is a meeting space for private parties. The top level has an outdoor observation deck where the view of the Grandeur was pretty good.

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Other levels include one devoted to Space Exploration, a Harbor Pilot Simulator, displays on port activities, and a theater where a film is shown twice per hour. It’s not a big attraction but I found it worth an hour or so and the price was right, I think General Admission was $6.50 but $4 for seniors.

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/exploration.pdf

I walked back to the ship along the row of restaurants lining the channel. I had planned on being late on the tour and missing dinner. Since I was not expected at table 218 I decided this was a good day to visit chops. I stopped briefly to chat with my tablemates before heading off. Just as I sat down at my table the sun was setting over the terminal.

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Everything at Chops was delicious. I went for the Mesclun Salad, the Petit Fillet, and the Red Velvet Cake with ice cream on the side.

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The featured entertainment was Comedian-Magician Nick Lewin. I plan on calling it a night fairly early.

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As today’s parting shot it has not been an easy day for the crew. Salt water is hard on things and that includes ships, especially older ones. I hope our slower than expected speed was caused by currents and not an engine that’s down, but we also seem to have been plagued today by numerous water leaks, not to mention now 2 speed bumps on the jogging track. The ship is having it’s share of troubles. I think that’s virtually inevitable for an older ship, but how soon can you really throw away a ship. I can just about guarantee that anyone who boards the Grandeur looking for a rust bucket and a bad cruise will have their expectations met. That’s not why I cruise. I came expecting to get good service, relax, visit some decent ports and do it all without having to worry about possible winter weather. I’ve sometimes had to walk a few extra feet to avoid a stair case with some leaking water and I’ve had to cancel a few plans and found something else I’d have been unlikely to do elsewhere, all on the friendliest ship on the fleet. When life sends a lemon you can throw up your hands of taste some lemonade. Today’s was delicious.

PS: I have posted the Staff Bios at https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/staffbio.pdf

Roy

I’m in the final stages of packing and keeping a close eye on the weather (with a possible wintry mix on Saturday). Fortunately, I don’t have too far to go and it’s mostly on main roads so I’m not too worried. This will be my second time on Lady G (after a B2B 2 years ago) and hope to come home with my first Crystal Block. My cruise line of choice is actually Crystal but I love the variety of itineraries RCI offers so close to home.

 

Most of my pictures (along with menus and compasses) will be posted to my companion blog:

 

https://getawaysfrom21044.wordpress.com/

 

I will be linking to selected photos on this thread and will also be posting compasses and menus via tabs at the header on the blog.

 

The itinerary is:

 

Saturday: Embark Baltimore

MLK day: Charleston

Tuesday: Port Canaveral

Wednesday: Miami

Thursday: Nassau

Friday: Coco Cay

Monday: Disembark Baltimore

 

2 more sleeps

 

Roy

Many thanks for all the info, very interesting, we're going soon on the Grandeur and I'm pleased to see that Zumba and some other dance activities are on the schedule. Have you found the music from the bands to be good for evening dancing? And is the cruise staff fun, are there lots of activities? Thanks for information. Is the food decent.

We realize the ship is small and older but are looking forward to an old school cruise. Last cruise was Anthem , last January, enjoying everything on her but for food and service. Can't beat cruising out of Baltimore,no flights?

Hi there. Could you please post a couple of cabin pictures? I am in a midship ocean view, and have also asked for my beds to be separated. Since I am traveling solo, I want to be able to walk between the beds to look out of the window. Thanks so much.

Enjoying your review.

Thank you incharge, cementhands, and easyboy. I'll respond to the questions later.

I slept through my alarm this morning waking at 5:45. There were still clouds on the horizon but the sun presented itself nicely just after 7.

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I skipped the Diamond Club breakfast this morning and went for sausage from the WJ along with grits from Park Café. We passed just within sight of Ft. Lauderdale roughly 9:30 and were just approaching the limits of the port at out scheduled 10:30 arrival time.

On the way in I think I picked out the sight of the new terminal for Oasis class ships but am not sure. We turned around in the basin and pulled up to Terminal G about 11. It was 11:30 before anyone was allowed off the ship.

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My brother was an executive for Eastern Airlines and lived in Miami for about 20 years. I have arrived or departed Miami Cruise Terminal several times (always with Crystal) but the closest I’ve come to a port call here was a turnaround day on a B2B a couple years ago.

It was a pretty low key day in Miami for me, doing pretty nearly the same thing I did on that turnaround day. Miami has a free trolley system and one of the lines goes to the edge of the port, stopping at terminals J and G. The trolley stop was less than a 5-minute walk and a bus showed up within 5 minutes of my arrival.

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The trolley goes to Coral Gables and the Miracle Mile. I got off a few blocks short of there for milk at McDonalds and groceries, then walked on to Panera on the Miracle Mile for lunch. Right now the place is a bit of a mess as the street is torn up for installation of a “street scape”.

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The return trolley had me back to the ship about 3:30. People at Table 218 had very varied days as the retired Chaplain never left the ship while the Youth Pastor and his wife had a long tour, Miami by Land and Sea” and said they saw a lot of Miami, just getting back in time for dinner. I went for the Berry Frappe and Turkey Roulade along with the Peach Melba. We finished just in time for the show.

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The featured entertainment was the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers in “Broadway Rhythm and Rhyme”. There was a Caribbean Party later on the pool deck. We left Miami soon after the first show ended.

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As today’s parting shot the name of the newest Oasis Class ship slipped out today. I’m not sure it was planned as it was discovered in a press release by one of the suppliers. Sadly, I have no desire to sail on a ship with Symphony (or Harmony) in the name that doesn’t also have Crystal in the name. I guess imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery.

Roy

Since you're doing this live, how's the internet? Do you have the stream capability? If you do, how well does it work? I was on the Anthem, and it worked well enough albeit a little slow and with a couple of small issues, but I read somewhere else that the Anthem has a newer wi-fi system than other ships.

I already got it for my upcoming cruise in February which is ironically, the same itinerary as you I think and was just curious if it worked well, or if it was a waste.

...I'm pleased to see that Zumba and some other dance activities are on the schedule. Have you found the music from the bands to be good for evening dancing? ...

I posted a review of our December 12-night cruise. Dancing is very important to us, too! There were 10-12 serious dancing couples our trip. Dance band was a female singer and 3 musicians; their music was good, took requests, with some limitations (same 3 waltzes in their song list) and the Centrum floor gets crowded easily and S Pacific has competition from bingo, art auctions, etc. Ship's orchestra played one night (very good), and the strings duet and pool deck bands play danceable music. DJ was disappointing - didn't take requests, seemed a slave to a poorly conceived playlist. Kelly (Cruise staff) taught the ballroom and line dance classes and did a good job, one of her colleagues is certified in Zumba and ran several sessions on at-sea days.

On March 2016 10-day, the dance band (woman singer + 3 musicians, from Bali) was very good, with a broad song list and willingness to work with the dancing couples. DJ was also better that trip. So a lot depends on who's doing what, and your own flexibility on what you will try to dance to (strict ballroom may have some frustrations).

Rogueperson, my best characterization would be good but a bit inconsistent. I don’t do heavy streaming but it should work most of the time. I have the Surf and Stream 1 device package (it was cheap when I bought it) but the heaviest thing I have done is watching the webcams. I am actually planning to watch some sailaways tonight on the HAL forum. I think I can hook up my second laptop tonight with my Diamond benefit. I’ll report later on how it works. Just a heads up, tonight I will be VERY busy and tomorrow’s post will be delayed, perhaps even until I return from Coco Cay.

Cementhands, I think the staff and service are very good and this has been voted the friendliest ship in the fleet. I think do not spindle has given you good advice on the dancing. I will add that the show band is going on vacation but I assume the replacement will be similar. I’m not a dancer but there are several good music groups on board. Food is very selective but I’ve never had a problem finding something good to eat. The pancakes and waffles on past cruises have always been hard and stale seeming; I haven’t tried them on this cruise but have opted instead for English muffins. Some things have been cut back; chicken was substituted for duck on one menu and I understand there won’t be lamb, but I’ve always found good alternatives.

No 2 people will agree on what activities are fun but there are plenty. There is a calendar on page 4 of each compass:

https://getawaysfrom21044.wordpress.com/programs/gos2017/

INCHARGE, I posted pictures on my blog the first day but didn’t carry them over to the thread. Note that the windows on deck 2 are smaller than the ones on higher decks. These are the photos of my current cabin:

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https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/2084closet.jpg

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The following picture is from my 2015 cabin on deck 3:

https://getawaysfrom21044.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/outside.jpg

I hope you will be able to see the attached picture (clicking on it should help a bit). It gives you an idea of the difference in windows between deck 2 and deck 3.

Roy

Been following as we will be on the Grandeur Monday. I noticed you used the bag check in the South Pacific lounge. How does this work. Would be great to not have to drag one of our carry ons around.

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Been following as we will be on the Grandeur Monday. I noticed you used the bag check in the South Pacific lounge. How does this work. Would be great to not have to drag one of our carry ons around.

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I just walked into the South Pacific Lounge towards the stage and a staff member approached me and gave me a littlebag check. The conditions were to pic the bags up by 12:50; rooms open at 1.

Have a great cruise, a very nice itinerary. I would love to have extended but I board the Konigsdam 1 month from today and need a little time at home.

Roy

When they offer lunch in the mdr look out for Gianduia cake on the menu. It's their best cake (IMO). It's a chocolate hazelnut cake. Nothing else they make comes close.

Enjoying your reports. I took Grandeur when it first replaced Enchantment out of Baltimore. I remember that partioned Diamond Lounge. So many Diamonds on the cruise, we were also sitting outside of the partition, in a cordoned off area. Great service! I'm actually D+ but preferred this lounge to the Concierge Lounge.

Enjoy the rest of your cruise and I look forward to the rest of your reports.

P.S. Get well soon.

I just walked into the South Pacific Lounge towards the stage and a staff member approached me and gave me a littlebag check. The conditions were to pic the bags up by 12:50; rooms open at 1.

 

Have a great cruise, a very nice itinerary. I would love to have extended but I board the Konigsdam 1 month from today and need a little time at home.

 

Roy

Thanks for the info. I will definitely check it out. We always try to be onboard early. Enjoy your cruise.

Great live review!! Thanks for sharing your vacation! Very interested as we have friends on board this cruise now. Hope you continue to have a wonderful time!

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Just finished in time to get breakfast and head ashore. I'll look at comments and post Compass and menus after returning from Coco Cay.

When I went up for coffee about 6:30 the sky was a nice color and conditions were generally nice. I had misjudge how much earlier sunrise was in the Bahamas (6:55 vs 7:05) and when I went out to watch the sun come up it was already well above the horizon so I was glad to have seen the early light.

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Breakfast was a combination of some nice ham from the WJ and an english muffin from the Diamond Club. We were actually in the Nassau harbor near 9 and backed in across the dock from the HUGE Disney Dream. We were cleared to go ashore promptly at 10.

I have been to Nassau several times, most recently on the Grandeur 2 years ago. I had no organized tour plans but did go for a walk on the island. There was a big display in Parliament Square celebrating 50 years of majority rule. It is apparently fairly controversial.

It’s a fairly short walk to the Queens Staircase, carved in 1793 and 1794. There’s a small waterfall about half way up the 65-step rise.

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At the top of the staircase sits Fort Fincastle, also built in 1793, with a towering position overlooking the harbor. The fort protected the harbor but never saw battle. The view from the fort highlighted how much bigger the dream is than the Grandeur.

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My meandering course brought me back down to the Straw Market, and then over to McDonalds for lunch. The location in Nassau has been one of their few holdouts without wifi, but that has finally changed. It was amusing that when I booted my IPAD and logged on it listed “my location” as a McDonalds in Illinois.

There was one attraction that had piqued my interest, a slavery museum. Sadly, I arrived at 12:57 and they close at 1PM on Thursday. I had a mostly quiet afternoon on the ship.

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All Aboard on the Disney Dream was 2:45. I went up to the WJ for coffee about that time. There was a long toot on their horn about that time, as a few stragglers were moving along the pier including families with young children. As the last people boarded about 2:50 a fork lift was positioned under the gangway literally waiting to take it away. I watched as the ship sailed at 3.

I’m also a webcam sailaway addict on Cruise Critic’s Holland America forum. I have a 1-device Surf and Stream package that works quite well although I have 2 laptops with me. I was planning to hook up the second package today using the day of free internet that comes with Diamond status. The ships of key interest to me were the Veendam and Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth, making a port call on her World Cruise. When I went to sign up for the second computer the message was “You have no coupons available” and I didn’t proceed but Voom worked well with 1 camera on IE and the other on Edge. As I was watching Prasadha came by and delivered my Crystal Block for attaining 140 C&A points.

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QE’s departure was delayed until about 6:30. I debated just going to the lido or heading down to the dining room for desert with my table mates. Pedro and Antonio worked some magic and while I missed out on the appetizers, they did get me an entree (Roasted Chicken) and desert (Pineapple Upside Down Cake) in the short time I was there. Since I missed the appetizers, I’m including my breakfast items in my food melange.

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With our midnight departure entertainment was a bit less formal. The band held a Musicians Showcase in the Palladium Theater at 7, showcasing several of the individual musicians as well as the steel drum band. I was just a few minutes late.

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Tanya sang a vocal set at 7:45 in the Centrum. I stayed for just one number as “Sully” was played in the theater at 8.

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I returned to my room after the movie but the buzz on Friday’s morning show was that something happened in the South Pacific Lounge and the Love and Marriage show was moved to the pool deck. It was apparently fairly successful.

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I’ll take my parting shot from “Sully”. I enjoy an occasional good quip. The movie shows co-pilot Jeff Skilling being questioned by the NTSB and asked “is there anything you would do differently?” He said “Yes, I would do it in July”. Agreed!

Roy