jgnova

I have to agree with MrClick - the food on Celebrity was so much better in the MDR.

I might have agreed with this 3-5 years ago, but it felt to us on our last few Celebrity sailings (Summit 1/13, Century 2/14) as if the food selections and quality had been reduced. Increasing the number of diners per server and cutting out the sommelier further diminished the experience. So, whereas I would have previously ranked Celebrity dining as superb and Royal as OK, they're getting closer. As I said, presentation is still better on Celebrity, so that gets them a plus. It looks like Royal has kitchen staff setting up trays/carts for the servers and that doesn't always work.

But I did like some of the menu choices on Royal - I don't recall ever having Indian food options except for one year on Mercury in the buffet.

I really like the separate stations on the Celebrity S class in the Oceanview cafe versus the old style in the Windjammer.

That comes down to personal opinion - the one S class we took turned me off - it seemed too hard to find foods and the hot foods weren't always as hot as I'd like.

I could never find a decent pizza on Royal and I really like the pizza on Celebrity.

 

The hot dogs and hamburgers are much better on Celebrity.

No argument there - and I did mention my dismay at the lack of fresh pizza and burgers.

j

We just returned from a ten–night Eastern Caribbean sailing on Grandeur of the Seas – our first RC sailing since December 1990 and after over 90 nights on Celebrity. There have been some questions here about the differences between the lines and I thought I’d post my thoughts.

Cabin:

We were in a Junior Suite – our Celebrity sailings have been veranda or CC. I think Grandeur had a lot of storage – maybe on par with M class and far more than on S class. Not sure if it’s my tastes, but I’d compare the cabin furnishings on Grandeur to a Marriott Fairfield Inn while I’d compare Celebrity to a Marriott Courtyard. I think that the closed cabinets in Celebrity bathrooms look nicer than the open shelves on Royal. Do not like that the bed is not quite high enough to allow luggage to fit.

Food:

We ate most of our meals in Windjammer, except for three dinners in the MDR plus a breakfast and a lunch. The only courses in the MDR in which presentation seemed important were desserts. This differs from Celebrity, where every plate seems to be a work of art. The food selection in both MDR & Windjammer was good, with a theme (Indian, Chinese, Mexican, etc.) each night – with the choices in both venues pretty similar, something I do not recall on Celebrity. We really liked having the same two hot and one chilled soup in Windjammer as in the MDR. I did miss Celebrity’s stir-fry and pasta to-order stations and having desserts already plated.

I thought the beverages in Windjammer were done better than on Celebrity. They had two beverage stations and someone was there to keep the cold beverages (water, lemonade, juice) ready to grab from a tray – no lines trying to find the one working ice machine or drink dispenser.

On the other hand, we missed the Celebrity free ice cream bar with its changing flavors (in contrast to the Ben & Jerry’s for a fee) and had to settle for the vanilla / chocolate soft-serve dispenser by the pool. Also missed the fresh pizza and grilled burgers on Celebrity.

I didn’t try it, but the MDR had a salad bar for lunch instead of having the salad choices on the menu – felt like a step-down from Celebrity in that, if I want a served meal, I want to be served. They also had a fruit and muesli bar at breakfast.

One thing I definitely missed was the Café al Bacio experience. The Centrum on deck 6 had a combined Ben & Jerry’s / Starbucks with counter service. Not the same as sitting down to read/ talk / play a game / listen to music and having someone come by to take your order and bring you tea / coffee / pastries / afternoon savories.

One oddball trivia thing I noticed is that Celebrity uses imported (Asian?) silverware while Royal used Oneida flatware (USA).

Entertainment:

I didn’t attend any of the shows but could hear the performers in the Centrum from outside our cabin, and I did wander down to the Schooner Bar to hear the pianist once. My overall impression is that Royal Caribbean performers seem to be appealing to people who came of age in the 80s or early 90s, while Celebrity might be trying to appeal to a younger demographic. Just my opinion based on my (limited) knowledge of music styles.

Ship:

Both lines seem about equal in keeping the ship looking good – always polishing and vacuuming. I did notice that, while all ship staff on Celebrity seemed to always be on the lookout for a passing guest and would greet her/him, that was not as common on Royal. Cabin attendants all over would say hello, but others were not as quick to issue a greeting, unlike Celebrity.

I did like the Diamond and up cocktail hour. Our last couple of Celebrity cruises issued coupons for our daily free drinks and did not run a special lounge. Royal put the free drinks on the SeaPass card – but also cordoned off a section of the South Pacific Lounge next to the Diamond lounge for Diamond cocktail times. And ship officers regularly stopped by.

Overall:

Based on our last Celebrity sailing (February 2014) and this Royal sailing, I’d have to call them about even. I like the extra touches on Celebrity that make things feel more luxurious but being able to drive an hour to board makes up for a lot.

NOTE: Posted on both Celebrity & RCI boards.

We just returned from a ten–night Eastern Caribbean sailing on Grandeur of the Seas – our first RC sailing since December 1990 and after over 90 nights on Celebrity. There have been some questions here about the differences between the lines and I thought I’d post my thoughts.

Cabin:

We were in a Junior Suite – our Celebrity sailings have been veranda or CC. I think Grandeur had a lot of storage – maybe on par with M class and far more than on S class. Not sure if it’s my tastes, but I’d compare the cabin furnishings on Grandeur to a Marriott Fairfield Inn while I’d compare Celebrity to a Marriott Courtyard. I think that the closed cabinets in Celebrity bathrooms look nicer than the open shelves on Royal. Do not like that the bed is not quite high enough to allow luggage to fit.

Food:

We ate most of our meals in Windjammer, except for three dinners in the MDR plus a breakfast and a lunch. The only courses in the MDR in which presentation seemed important were desserts. This differs from Celebrity, where every plate seems to be a work of art. The food selection in both MDR & Windjammer was good, with a theme (Indian, Chinese, Mexican, etc.) each night – with the choices in both venues pretty similar, something I do not recall on Celebrity. We really liked having the same two hot and one chilled soup in Windjammer as in the MDR. I did miss Celebrity’s stir-fry and pasta to-order stations and having desserts already plated.

I thought the beverages in Windjammer were done better than on Celebrity. They had two beverage stations and someone was there to keep the cold beverages (water, lemonade, juice) ready to grab from a tray – no lines trying to find the one working ice machine or drink dispenser.

On the other hand, we missed the Celebrity free ice cream bar with its changing flavors (in contrast to the Ben & Jerry’s for a fee) and had to settle for the vanilla / chocolate soft-serve dispenser by the pool. Also missed the fresh pizza and grilled burgers on Celebrity.

I didn’t try it, but the MDR had a salad bar for lunch instead of having the salad choices on the menu – felt like a step-down from Celebrity in that, if I want a served meal, I want to be served. They also had a fruit and muesli bar at breakfast.

One thing I definitely missed was the Café al Bacio experience. The Centrum on deck 6 had a combined Ben & Jerry’s / Starbucks with counter service. Not the same as sitting down to read/ talk / play a game / listen to music and having someone come by to take your order and bring you tea / coffee / pastries / afternoon savories.

One oddball trivia thing I noticed is that Celebrity uses imported (Asian?) silverware while Royal used Oneida flatware (USA).

Entertainment:

I didn’t attend any of the shows but could hear the performers in the Centrum from outside our cabin, and I did wander down to the Schooner Bar to hear the pianist once. My overall impression is that Royal Caribbean performers seem to be appealing to people who came of age in the 80s or early 90s, while Celebrity might be trying to appeal to a younger demographic. Just my opinion based on my (limited) knowledge of music styles.

Ship:

Both lines seem about equal in keeping the ship looking good – always polishing and vacuuming. I did notice that, while all ship staff on Celebrity seemed to always be on the lookout for a passing guest and would greet her/him, that was not as common on Royal. Cabin attendants all over would say hello, but others were not as quick to issue a greeting, unlike Celebrity.

I did like the Diamond and up cocktail hour. Our last couple of Celebrity cruises issued coupons for our daily free drinks and did not run a special lounge. Royal put the free drinks on the SeaPass card – but also cordoned off a section of the South Pacific Lounge next to the Diamond lounge for Diamond cocktail times. And ship officers regularly stopped by.

Overall:

Based on our last Celebrity sailing (February 2014) and this Royal sailing, I’d have to call them about even. I like the extra touches on Celebrity that make things feel more luxurious but being able to drive an hour to board makes up for a lot.

NOTE: Posted on both Celebrity & RCI boards.

Did u have dennis for stateroom ?

 

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Yes - he was GREAT!

How formal were the two Formal Nights? High participation? Any use of the Captain's Table?

Thanks!

Hi Steve.

R&D

Sorry - we ate most meals in Windjammer this time (we usually do eat in the MDR and take our formal wear, but not this trip). I saw a lot of people dressed properly, so I'd say participation was high. Remember that this sailing was after school started so we had an older demographic.

j

Thanks for sharing your photos of Grandeur. Things have changed since we were last on her. Are the framed masks still in the halls?

Yes, the masks, gloves, feathers, etc., are still on the corridors (at least on our deck 8 forward, anyway).

j

Hi, great pictures! Thanks so much for sharing the dinner menu you posted was that from the MDR? ANy chance you have any others from the MDR you would be willing to post?

Thanks!

Sorry - that was the only one. I usually take a portable scanner to dinner so I can scan the menus. But we wound up eating most meals at Windjammer (back problems meant sitting through 2 hour MDR meal wasn't feasible this trip). Also, this was our first RC cruise since 1990 - and the menus are wider than my scanner, which worked fine on Celebrity menus. That menu was one I spotted the one time I went to the Diamond Lounge for a drink.

We disembarked Friday (1/16) from Grandeur 10 night to Eastern Caribbean and I just posted our photos of places on the ship and some ports - plus scans of the dailies and some of the kids schedules at http://www.flickr.com/photos/snjnova/collections/72157648010589874/

j

The Feb/March 2016 sounds about right for timing. And it looks like it's a bit longer - she disembarks pax on 2/27 and doesn't sail again until 3/19 - so that's three weeks (including travel time (about 30 hours each way) to Freeport.

She was Solsticized in early 2012 so this would fit a four year cycle. Three weeks is a longish time for what I would think should be a cosmetic (carpets?) update. I wonder if they plan something more?

j

We've been on Summit for four sailings, one before her "Solsticization" and the others afterwards. You can see photos from all sailings at https://www.flickr.com/photos/snjnova/collections/72157632579388850/ . The Summit sailings were the two Bermuda cruises and the Caribbean 2013. The Bermuda 2011 has the most shots of the cabin and bathroom. The only major change in the cabin (that I can recall) when the ship was "Solsticized" were the change to an LCD TV and the replacement of the wall hair-dryer with a nightlight/mirror. The Bermuda sailings were both Concierge Class and the Caribbean was Verandah.

Your cabin balcony should be about the same as the non-hump balconies on the Solstice ships. I think the cabins on Summit are slightly wider than on Solstice class so your balcony will be correspondingly wider. Cabin 6022 is pretty far forward so you may feel more ship movement than if you were further back.

Summit has three stair/elevator sets, unlike Solstice-class with two, so movement around the ship may be easier. As stated earlier, you'll have more storage and not have that reach/climb over the bed. I think the various entertainment venues on Summit are better separated with less sound escaping.

You should not have problems with your vegetarian diet - just ask someone if you have any concerns about how something was prepared and they'll be happy to help.

I think the difference in deck plans is that they assign cabins to different categories between the winter (Caribbean) and summer/fall (Bermuda / New England) itineraries, when the family mixes are different.

Hope this helps.

j

Just returned from Grandeur of the Seas from Baltimore to Eastern Caribbean. Spotted an interesting ship in Sint Maarten on my return to the port - blue and white - with Horizon painted on her. At first I said, "No, can't be," but could only see bow as I wasn't allowed on pier. But when we pulled out I could see more, including the painted-over "X". You can see the photos at https://www.flickr.com/photos/snjnova/sets/72157650336765691/

j

I agree to an extent. We've been mostly on Celebrity with our first RCL coming up in two weeks. Celebrity is nice, but has also cut back on staffing ratios. There are multiple reasons this is happening:

First, overbuilding - the number of available cruise beds to fill. The top end sells quality over price. The mid-tier and below sell price and a pastiche of quality, as it's hard to explain why a $1,000 cruise on Royal is worth more than the same itinerary at $600 on Carnival (just an example, not necessarily real). They both offer three plus meals a day, cabin, entertainment, bars, casinos, etc. So the average person will buy price. And they have to fill all those new cabins!

Second, as the ships have become larger and added more venues, each of those venues needs to be staffed. So if you have two ships that have 2,500 passengers and one has only the MDR, buffet, and three bars, while the other adds five more bars, three specialty restaurants, a second pool, a coffee shop, and an ice cream place - but keep the same staff to passenger ratio - each of those venues now has fewer people to provide that attention.

Third, costs have gone up but people don't want to pay more. So, again, options (steak dinners, etc.) go down to reduce costs.

Not sure what else to say. I still like cruising because we can usually drive to the port from DC or combine it with a grandkid visit to Miami. And, despite the complaints, it is still a better experience than the all-inclusives in Jamaica or Dominican Republic. The three-year worn cabins are nicer than those places even when they're new, and have better food and service for about the same price per night/per person, especially when transportation is factored in.

One suggestion - try a river cruise. We took one on the Danube in 2006 and it was fantastic.

j

Thank you. We'll see what we get instead of taking our beach loungers.

j

What kind of chairs are on the Grandeur JS balconies? We're really hoping for something that leans back - like a chaise or a chair with a reclining back (and an ottoman). Also, do those cabins have a tea kettle?

Has anyone ever brought a folding chaise on board?

Thank you,

Jonathan

Most dinner jackets are more of an ivory. Hard to find white unless you are in the navy

You are correct. I think of it as white but it really is cream, obvious with the contrast with the white shirt.

White is appropriate year round in the tropics. Usually take both black and white when there are two formal nights.

j

Haven't been to Emerald but have been to Sapphire & Magen. The facilities at Sapphire aren't as nice as at Magen (no changing rooms, bathrooms are at the end of a winding hall in half-burned hotel). But the beach is lovely and has a nice coral area for snorkeling. There are people on the beach selling food and the food is good. I'll probably toss a coin on the next trip.

Amazing - thanks for posting.

That's an interesting idea and would accept the larger ships that can't get to Baltimore. For us, in Northern VA, it wouldn't be much further than Baltimore and less traffic hassles. But it's a long ride from BWI (worse than MIA to either Miami or Port Everglades) at over 90 minutes. And there's not a lot to do, like in Baltimore. Norfolk, as mentioned here, also has no bridge problems and is close to an airport as well as saving 6 hours of sailing time down the bay, but I don't think it's ever been that successful.

Keep in mind that the dock at Sint Maarten has become about as congested as Times Square and it can be challenging to not only get off a large ship, but then to get through the crowds to the waiting area. But, as others have said, the tour operators know this and wait.

j

We've stayed at the Sleep Inn Airport & Cruiseport on Belle Grove Road a couple of times. Booked through stay123 - you could also search through parksleepfly. The Sleep Inn was OK (clean, quiet) - had bagels, etc., for breakfast - and free parking while you're gone. We had a good crowd from our roll call both times and the hotel shuttled us to a nearby crabcake place for dinner. Check traffic before you head down - they're doing major work on 95 just south of the tunnel so using a hotel shuttle might be a good move.

j

If you're ever in Jamaica, you've got to try to get the Sangster's Rum Cream. It's my GO TO whenever I'm there. Just got back form an AI vacation and brought 4 bottles back!

 

I can't remember if it's in the Falmouth port store, but I've got to think it is.

 

YUM.

Ditto - I think there's another brand as well - can't remember what it is. Not sure if any of it is available outside Jamaica. Cruzan (St. Croix) used to make it but stopped a year or so ago. Haven't found any in the U.S. in years.

j

We bought ours from Amazon - they have several capacities. The neodymium are the strongest. We found that if we put them on the wall and put too much weight on them, they'd start sliding down. But they'll hold the weight fine if you stick them on the ceiling.

j

We've done two B2Bs in the Caribbean in January 13 and Feb 14 and the seas were fairly calm on both. We did notice that we could feel a little bit more motion (which was fine with me - I like knowing that we're at sea) on the short hops between islands where they only have a few dozen miles to the next port overnight. I suspected they barely hit the speed needed to deploy the stabilizers. One thing we did notice (and I asked the captain about) was that when we entered U.S waters things were rough. The captain said they were required to do something with the engines (I forget what) when entering U.S. territory and that made it feel rough for a few minutes.

j

Adventure Ocean was open for visitors on embarkation day - you can walk through it to the Teen Center. I wish I had time to take pictures but was focused on the students I was escorting. I can't wait to be on her as a passenger for ten nights instead of three hours as a visitor.

j