Semi-live Grandeur of the Seas

I had posted about my cruise excursion being cancelled due to another ship booking the same things at the same time, so I figured I would just do a semi live review.

Currently on Day 5.

I'm in a forward cabin, which is surprisingly quiet, so no complaints there. The trip to Bermuda was smooth, but there is definitely more motion on the way to Nassau!

Day 1, my excursions tickets were in the stateroom. The cruise left from Baltimore, and we had booked excursions for Nassau and a bungalow for Coco Cay. The menu for cococay was left, and I immediately completed it and returned it, and then received my ticket. Before the stateroom was available, it was noted that there are some flushing problems with at least the public restroom I tried.

Day 2, there was a note left in my door that "due to a glitch" my bungalow was cancelled. What I don't like about this, besides the obvious, is that it was worded as if there was a website problem that happened months ago when I booked, but this excursion was available for much longer than that online. What actually happened was something like another ship would be in port at the same time and they "won" the bungalows, cabanas, etc. I was able to book a lounger/clamshell (I think). 20% off the current rate was offered.

Day 3, we arrived in Bermuda. No complaints about the cruise today. The day was lovely, the only major issue was getting a shuttle back from Horseshoe Bay to the ship. It eventually arrived but many of us waited over an hour.

Day 4, spending half a day in Bermuda, and there was painting happening on the outside of Grandeur... which meant staterooms reek of paint.

Day 5, at sea. Flushing problems in our stateroom that were soon resolved, however it's also noticed throughout the ship. We spent the morning at the pool. Had also ordered the continental breakfast to be delivered, which was right on time. Be advised that the gluten free toast is TINY from room service. Oddly enough the GF toast in the WJ is regular sized, so it was a little strange and hopefully I got the right thing. It once again smells like paint or strongly of chemicals but only IN the stateroom/hallway. Unfortunately the balcony reeks of cigarette smoke now, so it's off to the Schooner bar.

 

Day 4, spending half a day in Bermuda, and there was painting happening on the outside of Grandeur... which meant staterooms reek of paint.

 

Day 5, at sea. It once again smells like paint or strongly of chemicals but only IN the stateroom/hallway.

I guess they didn't get to that during the dry dock that just competed.

I guess they didn't get to that during the dry dock that just competed.

Correct, yes, this is the second sailing since the dry dock.

Sorry you are smelling smoke on your balcony. You should report it. Maybe you can figure out which room / balcony it is coming from. You shouldn't have to put up with that.

Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

Thanks for the updates, keep the gluten free scoops coming, sailing Grandeur in August with my celiac daughter :)

Thanks for the updates, keep the gluten free scoops coming, sailing Grandeur in August with my celiac daughter :)

Will do. I don't have celiac so I don't have to be AS careful as you will need to be, but I will say that in your case you will likely need to avoid WJ and use the MDR or restaurants. We did Izumi once which specifies to ask for gluten free, but the only thing marked clearly gluten free in the WJ is the toast and breakfast. I'm ok with taking a "common sense" approach (if that makes sense?) since cross contamination isn't as big of a deal for me with the buffet, but it's not as clearly labeled as I had hoped. Unfortunately no GF pizza crust at park cafe either. :-(

Will do. I don't have celiac so I don't have to be AS careful as you will need to be, but I will say that in your case you will likely need to avoid WJ and use the MDR or restaurants. We did Izumi once which specifies to ask for gluten free, but the only thing marked clearly gluten free in the WJ is the toast and breakfast. I'm ok with taking a "common sense" approach (if that makes sense?) since cross contamination isn't as big of a deal for me with the buffet, but it's not as clearly labeled as I had hoped. Unfortunately no GF pizza crust at park cafe either. :-(

Bummer about the GF pizza. While I read that RCCL is good with gluten-free options, I'm a little worried there won't be a lot of "kid food" that she'll get excited about (she's 6). Hoping they can put together a grilled cheese, that would make her trip :) Hope you're having a ball!

Sorry about the smell of cigarette smoke in your balcony. I can relate to that.

Awesome thread. I am GF so I'm grateful for the info! Thank you so much. What excursion did you do in Nassau? Would love to hear about it!

We did MDR tonight (previously only did the Windjammer, but I've had enough meat + rice + cheese for the rest of my life at this point ;-)).

We started at MDR for breakfast which was fine, it seemed like the typical breakfast food they would offer in the WJ but I was really there to ask about gluten free options for dinner since it was "Italian night" and if I can get pasta... then I'm getting pasta if you know what I mean! I spoke with the waitress and her supervisor who told me just to mention it when I make my reservation.

As a side note, I really get self conscious about asking for GF things. I'm not celiac, but I've dealt with a lot of pain, etc., for my whole life and it was only recently pointed out to me that... this isn't normal. Gluten seems to be the culprit, but since I'm not celiac I am personally fine with a "I think this is ok" approach SOMEtimes.

This is not the approach they take in the MDR, so celiacs rejoice! The head waiter/supervisor/man in charge swooped over several times to double check and point out to me which food was "safe". I had preordered GF noodles, but when I actually saw the menu at dinner there are many things marked as GF available. I stuck with the noodles since, though not listed, they had specially offered them.

The only awkward part about dinner was that I'm not really a leisurely diner who can spend severa hours eating (plus I have a toddler in tow). I don't usually do MDR, so while I thought dessert would be offered, it was taking a while for our waiter to come back (not a complaint at all, just explaining the thought process) and we just decided to find something else to get into. The manager ran after us asking if we were ok or upset since we left without dessert. Hopefully we didn't commit some kind of major faux pas.

As for the Nassau excursion, we did the Blue Lagoon Deluxe Beach Break.

Transport was easy, Nassau is beautiful. Unfortunately that's where the compliments end for the most part. The "touch tank" was a six foot aquarium table that was closed. None of the staff were very friendly and there was very little instruction so it was confusing as to what was included with the day pass and what wasn't. The lunch was a few plastic trays with burgers etc. that were clearly out for a while, and while I wasn't there for the food by any means it was just... overall very "meh" which is a shame because it's so gorgeous. I think that the island would be worth it if you did the dolphin encounters but not just for the "beach break" which wasn't cheap, either.

It seemed that most people felt the same way. If you've done an Atlantis excursion for a cruise, then this is not the same thing. The ferry ride was nice, however, and the staff on the ride back tried to liven it up with music and dancing but at that point everyone seemed less than enthused.

So as a review of the Blue Lagoon excursion, I feel like a brat for being disappointed when I'm in the freaking Bahamas, but I wish that I had chosen something else for this day.

BUT I DID EAT PASTA so there's that!

For the GF folks, if you are an MDR type, I think you will be extremely pleased. I very much wish that there were more signs in WJ and options (seriously a single pot of GF noodles and just a note on the sauce signs GF or not would be SO NICE). However the MDR staff are extremely willing to accommodate, which is really really nice.

Enjoying this. Thanks for the updates.

And on to Day 7!

I mentioned above (and in another post) that my Beach bungalow for CocoCay was cancelled due to... something like a conflict with another ship. Enchantment of the Seas is currently tendered next to us, so I guess that has something to do with it.

To cover that portion of it, I was told that the bungalows were cancelled, but then some other people on Grandeur still had the beach beds. I'd be really interested in knowing what criteria had to be met in order to cancel certain reservations. Bitter? A little.

However, our "beach lounger" was fine. It was a little larger than I had expected it to be, which was nice. Important to note is that some panels on the cabana/clamshell portion are mesh, so it's NOT perfect cover in the rain.

CocoCay is honestly gorgeous. This was probably my favorite day, even though I do have some criticisms (as is the theme here, but I promise to give both sides and as much info as possible).

The Pros:

- Gorgeous

- We were able to tender, which I understand is a huge plus with this port

- Beautiful weather in the morning

- Very walkable location with lots of amenities (but for a price)

- Water was great for swimming (not too deep for a great distance)

Cons:

- The obvious excursion cancellation

- Going with that, having two ships in port. I'm not sure if it was because it was possibly unexpected, it was just disorganized and crowded in the buffet area. There was also confusion with photographers. We had several pictures taken and then the photog asked if we were on Enchantment.... which sucks because he FINALLY got our toddler to smile in a photo. So there were lots of things like that regarding pictures, souvenir cups, etc.

- General disorganization. Being directed to the bungalow area when I no longer had it was irritating. It wasn't even that they thought I had a bungalow, but more "the beach is that way"... and it was the wrong one. Again, not something that was a big deal by itself, but circumstantially.... I wasn't thrilled. I also didn't really know where to go for the loungers, because I hadn't previously chosen it, so I didn't really know where to go, but there was no real sense of direction or organization once we got off the ferry.

For GF folks, the lunch was the standard burger and hot dog buffet. You'll have something to eat, but you'll probably be tired of it. It's also not the same menu as the bungalow area-- at least from what I could tell before I stopped trying to fight my way through the crowd.

Overall, I think the day was really nice, and really beautiful, with a few less than great parts. Some things were uncontrollable (the torrential downpour around lunch time) and some things probably could have been avoided or better planned. And unfortunately that is kind of the running theme so far. My overall review is a resounding "meh". It even seems like a lot of the crew members have that attitude (not all, but a good amount) and maybe that is indicative of something else going on.

I think if every day had been like this day, I'd feel a little better (minus the food) but still... there is a lot of "what can you do?/go with the flow" having to happen, and for the price of a cruise, that kind of sucks.

Went back to MDR. They really are the shining star of the trip. The menu has little symbols that denote gluten free available, lactose free available, vegetarian, and I think a "healthier choice" symbol. I probably should have asked about the modifications because I think the sauce was removed from my sandwich which made it pretty dry, so just ask if you're worried. I have no doubt they would have made me something else-- they ask and double check to make sure everything is ok.

They also provided me tomorrow's menu so I could preselect what I wanted, but also said I had the option to change my mind.

In other news, wish us luck! Our final two sea days are predicted to be windy and stormy.

Went back to MDR. They really are the shining star of the trip. The menu has little symbols that denote gluten free available, lactose free available, vegetarian, and I think a "healthier choice" symbol. I probably should have asked about the modifications because I think the sauce was removed from my sandwich which made it pretty dry, so just ask if you're worried. I have no doubt they would have made me something else-- they ask and double check to make sure everything is ok.

 

They also provided me tomorrow's menu so I could preselect what I wanted, but also said I had the option to change my mind.

 

In other news, wish us luck! Our final two sea days are predicted to be windy and stormy.

Great to hear! When you come back I plan on asking you a million GF questions but don't want to take up your valuable trip time ;p Good luck with the weather!!

Great to hear! When you come back I plan on asking you a million GF questions but don't want to take up your valuable trip time ;p Good luck with the weather!!

Ask away! I'm back in the room for toddler bedtime anyway. I have a couple of days so if I don't know the answer to something, I may be able to find out.

Speaking of kids, last year we did the 5 day Bermuda itinerary which was fantastic. We thought this year would be better now that our toddler is 2 and potty trained-- and in some ways it is, however for those with young kids, ours is in a weird space where she's close to 3 but doesn't make the cut for adventure ocean (purely because she isn't 3, yet). We knew this, but I hadn't considered that there really aren't any venues where she can just run around to burn some energy, so families keep that in mind!

Ask away! I'm back in the room for toddler bedtime anyway. I have a couple of days so if I don't know the answer to something, I may be able to find out.

 

Speaking of kids, last year we did the 5 day Bermuda itinerary which was fantastic. We thought this year would be better now that our toddler is 2 and potty trained-- and in some ways it is, however for those with young kids, ours is in a weird space where she's close to 3 but doesn't make the cut for adventure ocean (purely because she isn't 3, yet). We knew this, but I hadn't considered that there really aren't any venues where she can just run around to burn some energy, so families keep that in mind!

Great tip! My youngest is 4, I'm crossing my fingers he'll be willing to go to the kid's club!

My biggest GF question is the whole "kid food" issue. My daughter could live on grilled cheese and I'm hoping if they have GF bread this could happen most nights in the MDR? You said they have GF pasta, I'm wondering if they can put together some kind of GF pizza? Mac and cheese? What about hot dog buns? We're hoping the cruise will be a great place for her to try new things but having some old favorites as a standby would be great!

How are the GF desserts? Is GF ice cream readily available somewhere? Any grab n go GF snacks?

I'll leave it at that for now :D Enjoy the rest of your vacation!

Great tip! My youngest is 4, I'm crossing my fingers he'll be willing to go to the kid's club!

 

My biggest GF question is the whole "kid food" issue. My daughter could live on grilled cheese and I'm hoping if they have GF bread this could happen most nights in the MDR? You said they have GF pasta, I'm wondering if they can put together some kind of GF pizza? Mac and cheese? What about hot dog buns? We're hoping the cruise will be a great place for her to try new things but having some old favorites as a standby would be great!

 

How are the GF desserts? Is GF ice cream readily available somewhere? Any grab n go GF snacks?

 

I'll leave it at that for now :D Enjoy the rest of your vacation!

I don't think you will have any problem getting grilled cheese, they would probably just be "slider" sized, because the GF bread (which they seem to use for everything) is smaller. I would think they could maybe craft that into a "pizza" but I'm not sure. I know that Park Cafe, which offers the more "snack" type food doesn't have a GF pizza, so you would be safest going to the MDR for this type of request.

I have not specifically requested a Mac and cheese yet but they do have the pasta available. If I get the chance I'll ask about it, since I know sauces can be a problem.

As far as ice cream, there is a soft serve machine by the pool but I do not know if it's specifically gluten free... mostly because I hadn't even considered that it wouldn't be.

Unfortunately I don't think you'll have much luck with grab and go type snacks. :-( When I emailed RCI before my trip, they did advise that I could bring "dry foods" so I would definitely contact them, if you haven't already, and see what they say about that, so you can bring any favorites along.

I think the issue is that the MDR will go above and beyond, but there isn't much by way of convenience foods.

I don't think you will have any problem getting grilled cheese, they would probably just be "slider" sized, because the GF bread (which they seem to use for everything) is smaller. I would think they could maybe craft that into a "pizza" but I'm not sure. I know that Park Cafe, which offers the more "snack" type food doesn't have a GF pizza, so you would be safest going to the MDR for this type of request.

 

I have not specifically requested a Mac and cheese yet but they do have the pasta available. If I get the chance I'll ask about it, since I know sauces can be a problem.

 

As far as ice cream, there is a soft serve machine by the pool but I do not know if it's specifically gluten free... mostly because I hadn't even considered that it wouldn't be.

 

Unfortunately I don't think you'll have much luck with grab and go type snacks. :-( When I emailed RCI before my trip, they did advise that I could bring "dry foods" so I would definitely contact them, if you haven't already, and see what they say about that, so you can bring any favorites along.

 

I think the issue is that the MDR will go above and beyond, but there isn't much by way of convenience foods.

Thank you, this couldn't be more helpful!!! I saw you writing about the buffet at CocoCay, did you try to eat at any of the other ports? Right now it seems that the best plan might be to go back to the ship for lunch but it would be great if we didn't have to and could spend all day out.

I'll have to ask about the ice cream when I contact the dining people. That would make her day if she could help herself to that!

Keep us posted on other things YOU are eating :) and take pictures of MDR menus :D (now I'm getting greedy!)

Thank you, this couldn't be more helpful!!! I saw you writing about the buffet at CocoCay, did you try to eat at any of the other ports? Right now it seems that the best plan might be to go back to the ship for lunch but it would be great if we didn't have to and could spend all day out.

 

I'll have to ask about the ice cream when I contact the dining people. That would make her day if she could help herself to that!

 

Keep us posted on other things YOU are eating :) and take pictures of MDR menus :D (now I'm getting greedy!)

I snapped a pic of the "dessert mix" for you when I saw it at the WJ today, for the soft serve. I'll upload once I'm back. :-) It looks ok, but I'd rather show you the label.

I did not eat at Bermuda, and I did try the "included lunch" at Blue Lagoon. I wouldn't recommend it, but not really because of GF... just that it was a line of burgers and topping just sitting out. There wasn't really anyone to ask, either.

Something did "get me" but I don't know if it was eaten yesterday or the day before. Today I saw the same toast that I thought was GF sitting out without the GF label in the WJ (I only ate it once) so I'd be extra precautions there because I'm going to assume the sign shouldn't have been there in the first place. Super disappointing.

I also overheard a bit of a fiasco in the WJ today regarding smoothies that were being given out. One of the waitresses told a family that already had given them to their children that the smoothies actually contained alcohol. I don't think this actually ended up being true (and I don't think they would have been free if they had alcohol) but it certainly freaked them out.

Basically, always always always check with a manager, because communication isn't happening with the rest of the staff.