Canada/New England Grandeur Review w/ Compasses

We had such a great cruise on the Grandeur (September 17 to New England and Canada) that I really want to do a review. Since I haven’t posted pictures or documents before to Cruise Critic, it may be a challenge. So far, scanning has been a bit of a pain, so I am going to do this in small chunks. I have to confess, I don’t take as many pictures around the ship as I used to but I will see what I can find.

Background

We were a group of 14, my dh, my brother, sister, bil, old friends, and new friends. We came from South Carolina, Ohio, and West Virginia. This is my 14th cruise--all on Royal. Obviously, I am a loyal fan, but I would like to try Celebrity in the near future.

We stayed the night before at the Holiday Inn Express at the Stadiums. A great deal with parking for the week, breakfast, shuttle to the port, and also a shuttle to the Inner Harbor. It is right beside the Horseshoe Casino if you want to lose money before you get on the cruise!

The shuttle took us to Mo’s in Little Italy. The crab cakes were amazing, but be warned the portions are huge. My DH and I could have easily split a dinner and still been stuffed.

Day 1

We scheduled our shuttle for 11:00am and were on the ship in no time. The port is very close to the hotel and although there were a few people in line everything moved really quickly. BTW, the shuttle drivers were very helpful, split our large group into two vans, but stayed close since some of luggage was mixed. They were right there to pick us up when we got off the cruise too.

After boarding, we hung at the pool for a while, had a drink, then decided to hit the Windjammer. Was still full from breakfast (I admit it, I had my leftover crabcake for breakfast!), so I had a really nice, big salad. It was crowded and we took our food back out the pool area. Before you know it our rooms were ready. We unpacked and went exploring. Did the obligatory muster, then went upstairs for sailaway. The activities director had line dancing going so I had to join in for a bit. Would have like to take the free gaming lessons, but they always seem to be at the same time as the Sailaway. Seems odd, doesn’t it?

We did the Grandeur last year to Bermuda and I knew cruising the Chesapeake Bay was a real treat so we found a good spot to sit and watch as we went under bridges.

Had MyTime Dining --we got a table for 10 pretty much at the same time every night. No problem and it was a great table --one of the big round ones. Kudos to the maitre d, Roshmann. The wait staff always wanted you to be happy. If you were having trouble deciding, they would say let me bring you both! I thought the food was very good. IMHO, I think Royal food has improved a lot in the last few years from a low point around 2010-2011.

We didn’t go to the Welcome Show --just too tired. Others in our group went and really liked the comedian, Kevi Rogers. More to come...

A few pics from Day 1:

This is my first time posting pictures or documents and I noticed they are really small. When I left them a bigger size, they wouldn't upload. Would appreciate any tips. I searched around on the Forum for suggestions, but so far haven't found anything.

This is my first time posting pictures or documents and I noticed they are really small. When I left them a bigger size, they wouldn't upload. Would appreciate any tips. I searched around on the Forum for suggestions, but so far haven't found anything.

When you see the larger photos on this site, those photo files have been uploaded to a photo sharing site, such as Flickr. Then the poster puts a link to the file on the photo sharing site in the post here on Cruise Critic.

Thanks for your quick response!

We had such a great cruise on the Grandeur (September 17 to New England and Canada) that I really want to do a review. Since I haven’t posted pictures or documents before to Cruise Critic, it may be a challenge. So far, scanning has been a bit of a pain, so I am going to do this in small chunks. I have to confess, I don’t take as many pictures around the ship as I used to but I will see what I can find.

 

 

 

Background

 

We were a group of 14, my dh, my brother, sister, bil, old friends, and new friends. We came from South Carolina, Ohio, and West Virginia. This is my 14th cruise--all on Royal. Obviously, I am a loyal fan, but I would like to try Celebrity in the near future.

 

 

 

We stayed the night before at the Holiday Inn Express at the Stadiums. A great deal with parking for the week, breakfast, shuttle to the port, and also a shuttle to the Inner Harbor. It is right beside the Horseshoe Casino if you want to lose money before you get on the cruise!

 

 

 

The shuttle took us to Mo’s in Little Italy. The crab cakes were amazing, but be warned the portions are huge. My DH and I could have easily split a dinner and still been stuffed.

 

 

 

Day 1

 

We scheduled our shuttle for 11:00am and were on the ship in no time. The port is very close to the hotel and although there were a few people in line everything moved really quickly. BTW, the shuttle drivers were very helpful, split our large group into two vans, but stayed close since some of luggage was mixed. They were right there to pick us up when we got off the cruise too.

 

 

 

After boarding, we hung at the pool for a while, had a drink, then decided to hit the Windjammer. Was still full from breakfast (I admit it, I had my leftover crabcake for breakfast!), so I had a really nice, big salad. It was crowded and we took our food back out the pool area. Before you know it our rooms were ready. We unpacked and went exploring. Did the obligatory muster, then went upstairs for sailaway. The activities director had line dancing going so I had to join in for a bit. Would have like to take the free gaming lessons, but they always seem to be at the same time as the Sailaway. Seems odd, doesn’t it?

 

 

 

We did the Grandeur last year to Bermuda and I knew cruising the Chesapeake Bay was a real treat so we found a good spot to sit and watch as we went under bridges.

 

 

 

Had MyTime Dining --we got a table for 10 pretty much at the same time every night. No problem and it was a great table --one of the big round ones. Kudos to the maitre d, Roshmann. The wait staff always wanted you to be happy. If you were having trouble deciding, they would say let me bring you both! I thought the food was very good. IMHO, I think Royal food has improved a lot in the last few years from a low point around 2010-2011.

 

 

 

We didn’t go to the Welcome Show --just too tired. Others in our group went and really liked the comedian, Kevi Rogers. More to come...

Thanks for review I've a deposit on this cruise for my dads surprise 70th think I'll look at holiday inn for my pre cruise

We've been on Grandeur, but now we're booked for Canada/NE in the Spring, so really looking forward to the rest of your review.

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We're on this cruise next September for our honeymoon, so I'm super excited to read your review!

I had a friend take it out of NJ, and (after we booked & paid our deposit) she gave me a pretty negative review, which was mostly because of the weather. So I'm looking forward to seeing what someone else thought!

Also really hope you figure out how to upload the Cruise Compasses! I've been looking for one so I could get an idea of what we're looking at next year!

Bear with me. Trying Flickr-hopefully Compasses will be more readable.

Day 2 Friday, September 18, 2015 AT SEA

We woke to a nice day--mix of sun and clouds. Very smooth ocean. Last year on our trip to Bermuda, it was very bumpy in the Atlantic all the way across to Bermuda. I was prepared with Bonine, but never felt the need to use it.

Grabbed coffee in the Diamond Lounge and went up to the Windjammer for breakfast. Found a seat with some of our fellow cruisers without any problem. Enjoy having that first day to relax and get into the cruise.

Our Meet ‘n Mingle was planned for 10am and our whole group was going. A little mix-up with the place: Before we left, the place was listed online as being held in the Viking Crown Lounge, but the invitation in our stateroom said South Pacific Lounge. Guess where it was? VC, but most of us sat in the PL for a while before someone came and got us! No matter, the activities director and staff got things going. They talked some about themselves -- they also got some of the group talking. They had coffee and a Royal Caribbean little gift for everyone. They also gave away quite a few good prizes. We got a Royal Caribbean hat and another couple with us won a bottle of champagne.

Did the usual ship-type things: hung out at the pool with our friends, did a little line dancing, tried to get others to join me to no avail. DH played baggo and won. Watched the movie, The Theory of Everything. Ate lunch in the MDR, love the Tutti Salad -- service was a little slow for entrees.

Tonight was the first formal night, so we went to our cabins to get all gussied up and then to the Diamond Lounge for a few drinks. This is only our fourth cruise as Diamond. Once on Liberty, once on Enchantment, and now twice on Grandeur. It is a wonderful perk that we are very happy to have. The Liberty and Enchantment were both nice, but the staff on Grandeur make the lounge very special. The DL on the Grandeur is a little out of the way, but they more than make up for it in service. Inna, the concierge, is a wonderful person. We really loved getting to know her. The wait staff, John and Tomika were amazing. My DH pretty much drinks the same thing nightly and John would get it for him as soon as he saw us coming. I was always trying something new and John always had suggestions for me. I took pictures of the Drinks Menu since I had not seen one before.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=364727&stc=1&d=1444269488

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=364729&stc=1&d=1444269488

Also, they used part of the South Pacific Lounge for overflow so it was never crowded.

There is a great view of the wake of the ship from the DL:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=364731&stc=1&d=1444269657

I wish I could tell you what I had for dinner each night, but I am not good at remembering. Next time I will keep a food diary or take pictures! I do know that one night I had the steak that they have on the regular menu. I didn’t feel like it was very good at all --tough and chewy. Pretty much the only thing I was served that I felt was not particularly good. The next night they offered steaks from Chops for $9.99 so I tried that. It was delicious. I didn’t have it again because I like to try a lot of different things, but I got to tell you, the meat lovers at our table ordered it every night for the rest of the cruise!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=364732&stc=1&d=1444269776

The show tonight was Rick Novell, Master Juggler and Entertainer, but we didn’t go. Went for a walk around the ship instead.

Our cabin was an oceanview on deck three near the aft elevators. We have done balconies, ov, and inside. (Don’t love inside, but can do it on a shorter cruise.) Balconies were twice the price as ov for this sailing. Our cabin was more than fine for the two of us. I really liked its location. We could get the Centrum, MDR, and outside promenade on deck 5 with a set of stairs or two. Another good thing about the Grandeur is the elevators never seemed crowded--easy to zip up to the pool or WJ.

Almost forgot: Day 2 Activities

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=364741&stc=1&d=1444272053

Still playing with this --trying to get better results.

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Still playing with this --trying to get better results.

 

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I like that they actually show a page of cocktails, rather than just the page of liquors available.

Enjoying Jules' reviews. We are booked- Sept 1,2016- cabin 3606 OV.

It is a handicapped room- my DW may be in wheelchair and want to be prepared. This is our 5th cruise- 3rd RCCL- 1st non Carribbean cruise.

Anxious to read more. Thanks to all for comments.

It was my first time in Maine so I was very excited to get to Portland. I woke up around 7:30 and immediately looked out the window. To my dismay, the fog was so thick I couldn’t see a thing. We got dressed and went for coffee. We weren’t scheduled to dock until 11:30am, but I wanted to be up on deck to watch as we came into the harbor. Luckily as the morning wore on, the fog started to lift and we had good views of the city.

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Getting off the ship was quick and there was a helpful information center right at the end of the dock where we picked up maps. Our plan was to explore the Old Port —there are tons of restaurants, bars, galleries, shops within in walking distance. We walked to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s house—the gardens were really pretty.

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One of the locals we talked with told us to go to $3 Deweys — fun little bar. Had a beer, talked to some other tourists, then walked to Becky’s (a pretty long walk) for a lobster roll. Just a little diner type place, but the food was great.

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We had been iffy about whether to take a tour or not, but stopped by the Discovery Portland kiosk to see what was still available and signed up to take the next Lighthouse Tour. So glad we did, the narration was great and we really enjoyed the boat ride. Was able to get some great lighthouse pictures.

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Back onboard we went up on deck for sail away and for a last look at those awesome lighthouses! After dinner, we just relaxed on deck and watched part of a movie.

More pics from Portland Harbor

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My sister and I were on the same cruise but left on Oct 1st, and it sounds like we had a parallel experience! We also stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Stadium and found it to be perfect. Had a little bit of a problem getting to it because the GPS seemed a little confused (!) but finally made it. We were able to park under cover, too. The hotel shuttle took us to the Inner Harbor as we wanted to go to the Aquarium. We also had crab cakes at Mo's, which was suggested by the shuttle driver. And yes, they were huge! We also agreed we could have split one order. Then the restaurant shuttle took us back to the hotel. I would not hesitate to recommend the hotel to anyone cruising out of Baltimore. One more thing...the park & cruise package said free parking for one week and a small charge (I forget how much) for each additional day. We were parked for 10 days, but when I went to the front desk after the cruise to pay the balance of parking, the manager, who happened to be standing there, said to forget it as it was more of a problem to try to ring it up!:)

My sister and I were on the same cruise but left on Oct 1st, and it sounds like we had a parallel experience! We also stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Stadium and found it to be perfect. Had a little bit of a problem getting to it because the GPS seemed a little confused (!) but finally made it. We were able to park under cover, too. The hotel shuttle took us to the Inner Harbor as we wanted to go to the Aquarium. We also had crab cakes at Mo's, which was suggested by the shuttle driver. And yes, they were huge! We also agreed we could have split one order. Then the restaurant shuttle took us back to the hotel. I would not hesitate to recommend the hotel to anyone cruising out of Baltimore. One more thing...the park & cruise package said free parking for one week and a small charge (I forget how much) for each additional day. We were parked for 10 days, but when I went to the front desk after the cruise to pay the balance of parking, the manager, who happened to be standing there, said to forget it as it was more of a problem to try to ring it up!:)

Glad you had a good experience too!

I spend a lot of time researching places in advance of a trip and we especially enjoy exploring places on our own or in small groups. Our plans for Bar Harbor included hiking in Acadia National Park and walking on the ocean floor—both of these activities I was able to plan from information I found on CC. Thank you CC members for sharing your expertise. Bar Harbor was a very special day.

The ship anchored in the harbor around 8:00am and we were on one of first tenders over. Low tide was around 10:00 and we wanted to walk across to Bar Island while tide was out. It was a great walk—just kind of fun knowing we were walking on ground that would be covered with water in a few hours! (Thanks to GiantFan13 for suggesting this.)

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After Bar Island, we walked back to town to find the Island Explorer bus to Acadia National Park. We had to stop a few times and ask for directions, but we found the National Park office fairly easily. The rangers told us where to wait for the bus.

The Island Explorer is a great service. It is free and there are multiple routes which are laid out in a guide map entitled Free Acadia Shuttles. The Guide details the various bus routes and timetables.

We took the Sand Beach #3 which like many of the other routes left from the Bar Harbor visitor center square . We got off at Sand Beach and hiked and explored along the spectacular Ocean Path toward Otter Cliff.

After hiking for a few hours, we caught the bus back, stopping at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center to look around a little and to change buses to get back to Bar Harbor. The ride back was interesting —nice views of the harbor and the ship—and by the College of the Atlantic campus. Back in town, we shopped a little —prices for souvenir tee shirts and sweatshirts seemed very reasonable to me—maybe end of season. We ate lobster at Geddys, met of up with some of our group and had a couple of beers before getting in a very long line to get on a tender. Not sure what the problem, my DH thinks the tender lost one of its engines, but we had a very hard time docking with the ship. After 3 attempts, they were finally able to get close enough that the crew could pull it in.

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Although the weather started out a little rainy and foggy you can see from the above picture that by afternoon, we had a gorgeous day!