Review: Grandeur of the Seas, 15-24 March 2018

This is my review of our 9-night round-trip cruise on the Grandeur that began on March 15th. This was my second time doing an international cruise and just the first time cruising on an RCI ship. Overall, we had a pretty good time, enough to have already booked another voyage on the Grandeur for September 13th -- this will be one of the New England/Canada sailings.

**NOTE: I'll review the deluxe beverage package below, but if you're on any upcoming RCI sailing, check the Cruise Planner now since the package is currently on sale. We were able to get it for $39/day, just like we did for this past sailing.

Who traveled? My boyfriend, his parents, and me, so four people total in two ocean view staterooms on Deck 3 forward and starboard. Two gents in their 30s, and a male/female couple in their 60s.

Why Grandeur? We chose the ship because of the destination. His parents wanted minimal travel to a port. Since we all live in Maryland, we chose to depart from Baltimore rather than going to the NYC area or elsewhere. This made it really easy on the two of us since a 25-minute Uber/Lyft ride was all we needed to get from home and to the port and back. This really helped get the vacation off to a quick start and certainly factored into booking our second sailing on the ship.

How alive was the ship? The ship had a good atmosphere overall, but some parts of it, especially the South Pacific Lounge, were underutilized. Additionally, the average age of the passengers was on the high sides but was significantly lower than I expected it to be given what I had read here. Even so, lots of good energy from the passengers and crew; most people seemed like they were enjoying themselves. The ship definitely had a lot of charm and character; it is easy to see why people review it fondly.

What did we eat? Lots.

• Breakfast: I only ever ate breakfast in the Windjammer (WJ). We heard good things about the Main Dining Room (MDR) for breakfast but never ate there. For the most part, breakfast in the WJ was the same each day with just a few dishes varying from day to day. This worked out well -- I really enjoyed the egg white scramble and was happy to find it available each day. Most days there was also smoked salmon.
  
• Lunch: I only ever ate lunch in the WJ. Certain sections of it, like the salad bar, pizza area, and burger station, were largely the same every day, but there was good variety in the rest of the buffet. Some of the favorites for the week were Irish lamb stew, grilled fish, pavlovas, and various cold "salads" (e.g., beet salad, kimchi salad, etc.).
  
• Dinner: We pre-purchased three nights of specialty dining, and, while onboard, also purchased Chef's Table for our final night of the cruise. On the other nights, the four of us did My Time Dining in the MDR at 7:00 p.m., and it never took more than a total of 90 minutes (usually closer to 65). Overall, the selection in the MDR was good and quality was reasonable, and the service there was impeccable. Although they had the menus with the desserts listed, only the first night in the MDR (Day 2) did they actually have us order it all together; the other three nights, they re-presented the full menu and asked us then to select dessert. The quality in Chop's Grille and Giovanni's Table was mostly better than the MDR but, unless you absolutely want something on their menu, the difference in quality was not enough to justify the price difference. The Chef's Table experience was superb and worth every penny of the $50 (it was discounted to that price pre-gratuity).
  

Beverage package: Pre-cruise, we booked the deluxe beverage package for $39/day (pre-gratuity). We certainly drank well and partook in primarily wine, spirits, sodas, specialty coffees (tea for me), bottles of water, and some beer -- in other words, anything and everything. Alcohol was one of the most confusing things onboard the ship -- at least one of the wines was only available at Giovanni's Table even though it was on the menu for the MDR, and I believe the prices of some of the wines varied across the ship. Similarly, there was no sparkling wine on the menu below the $12 of the package cut-off, yet you could order some of the cocktails from the menus made nearly completely of sparkling wine and those cocktails did cost $12 or less. You could probably get the sparkling wine used in those cocktails as part of the package, but we never cared enough to inquire. Another quirk was that sometimes I would order the same thing from the same bar yet get a different product, like a bloody mary in a ~5-oz. glass versus a ~12-oz. one -- very odd. Anyhow, all in all, the package was a good value for us. If you go the package route, know that the special cups needed to use the Freestyle Coke machines are in your stateroom, so you'll have to go without them until you can get to your room.

Gym: I used the gym four days. It is small (but adequate) but was fairly cramped on at-sea days, even at 3/4 in the afternoon. Also, access to the sauna and steam room is free, so indulge. Some days, there was literally no one else in the rooms but me. We hear that the steam room, etc. cost extra on other RCI ships, a factor in whether we will take one in the future.

Sea condition: It was somewhat rocky for a large portion of the trip and very rocky for a while on some of the days. I don't get seasick easily and did not, but two of the four of us did on Day 2, as did many others on board.

Ports:

• Charleston: This was Day 3 and St. Patrick's Day. The weather was excellent and we spent a few hours walking around. Adding in the walking on the ship, my Fitbit clocked more than 10 miles for the day. The city is charming -- lots of history and many, many older homes with lots of character. Also, many of the passengers had decorated their stateroom doors with green, as were the Centrum and some other parts of the ship.
  
• Florida: We did not get off the ship.
  
• Bahamas: First time here -- our previous cruise was to Bermuda. We went to the pirate museum in Nassau and walked through many shops. We were saving our beach time for the following day at CocoCay (CC). The ship sailed to CC, and we were in the WJ having an early breakfast when the captain announced conditions were not good enough for us to tender to the island, especially since they were expected to worsen as the day progressed. You could feel the mood change in the WJ, but given that we could also see the island and the state of the water, the decision came as little surprise.
  

Entertainment: All of it was enjoyable, but some of it was outstanding. The RCI singers and dancers on this ship are PHENOMENAL. There was also a Beatles tribute band that was really good. The comedians were pretty good. Michael Grimm (winner of the fifth season of America's Got Talent) was also pretty good. The "Love & Marriage" game show was quite fun with the three couples that were selected. We also liked the various performers in the Centrum and Schooner Bar.

Service: Overall, the service was really good, but sometimes it was rather slow. For example, sometimes there were 2-3 bartenders at a bar and other times only 1 even though the times of day and demand were comparable.

Positives: Charleston, Freestyle beverage machines, free access to steam room/gym, good entertainment

Negatives: Seat saving (especially in the Solarium by people who did not use them for extended periods of time), inconsistency of availability of beverages across bars

Thank You for the review.

Looking forward to my first cruise on the Grandeur of the Seas in November.

You got a seriously good deal on Chef’s Table. I usually do that with my wife, but will probably skip it on my upcoming cruise in April because I will be alone for that one

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Norwegian2016...Just read your comprehensive review. Thanx for posting and sharing your take on my fav ship. Glad to hear that you had a mostly good time and that you will be booking her again.;) Perhaps we'll get to share a cruise.

I can't wait to return to my home away from home for the 18th time! Three weeks from now I hope to be sitting at the front of the Viking Crown Lounge, drink in hand, watching us cruise down the bay heading for the Bay Bridges before our first dinner. Ah, that's the life!:D

Just for your information, all RCI ships in the same class as Grandeur, and the Voyager, Freedom and Radiance class ships have free saunas and steam rooms.

Thanks so much for your review, can't wait to be back on the Grandeur in August!

Grandeur is on our bucket list, thanks!

Thank you for your review.

Thanks for the detailed review - can't wait to get on Grandeur in July.

Sailing on her in Mar 2019 and most of the reviews have been very positive. Looking forward to it.

JTBCruiser...when are you booked in March, 2019? We have a roll call thread going for 3-16-19. If that is your date, come on over and join us.;)

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=55650733#post55650733

Terrific review.

Keith

Sailing on her April 5 thanks for the info

Thanks for your review! Sailing Aug. 2nd.

I was on the same cruise and your review was similar to my experience although I was initially disappointed in the food as compared to the previous 2 cruises on the Grandeur. The Park Cafe was a bit disappointing as they no longer have the carved roast beef on rolls. They carved pork one evening and turkey another but mostly there was only notchos , hot dogs and very mediocre pizza at night, besides the finger sandwiches. The new menus in the MDR had fewer choices than on previous cruises, but once we adjusted to the change, we were fairly satisfied with the selection.

Entertainment was generally good and the Michael Grimm concert definitely the highlight for me. I enjoyed the Beatles tribute band, as well as the comedy shows, and particularly enjoyed the pianists in the Schooner Bar several nights.

Despite the downgrading of the food, in perspective, this cruise was an outstanding deal. I believe I got what I paid for considering I only paid $420 pp (before tax and port fees) for a 9 day cruise.

JTBCruiser...when are you booked in March, 2019? We have a roll call thread going for 3-16-19. If that is your date, come on over and join us.;)

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=55650733#post55650733

We are sailing on 28 Mar 19. Thank you! :)

JTBCruiser...in that case, we'll try to be gentle with the lady and hand her over to you and yours in good shape!;):D

The 2 weeks since the cruise have been hectic. No rest for the weary.

Just for your information, all RCI ships in the same class as Grandeur, and the Voyager, Freedom and Radiance class ships have free saunas and steam rooms.

Thanks for the information!

I was on the same cruise and your review was similar to my experience although I was initially disappointed in the food as compared to the previous 2 cruises on the Grandeur. The Park Cafe was a bit disappointing as they no longer have the carved roast beef on rolls. They carved pork one evening and turkey another but mostly there was only notchos , hot dogs and very mediocre pizza at night, besides the finger sandwiches. The new menus in the MDR had fewer choices than on previous cruises, but once we adjusted to the change, we were fairly satisfied with the selection.

Entertainment was generally good and the Michael Grimm concert definitely the highlight for me. I enjoyed the Beatles tribute band, as well as the comedy shows, and particularly enjoyed the pianists in the Schooner Bar several nights.

Despite the downgrading of the food, in perspective, this cruise was an outstanding deal. I believe I got what I paid for considering I only paid $420 pp (before tax and port fees) for a 9 day cruise.

I believe they had roast beef at least one afternoon -- I didn't eat there, so I don't know what they were serving it on.

Yes, you definitely got a GREAT deal!

Thanks for the review.

This is my review of our 9-night round-trip cruise on the Grandeur that began on March 15th. This was my second time doing an international cruise and just the first time cruising on an RCI ship. Overall, we had a pretty good time, enough to have already booked another voyage on the Grandeur for September 13th -- this will be one of the New England/Canada sailings.

**NOTE: I'll review the deluxe beverage package below, but if you're on any upcoming RCI sailing, check the Cruise Planner now since the package is currently on sale. We were able to get it for $39/day, just like we did for this past sailing.

 

Who traveled? My boyfriend, his parents, and me, so four people total in two ocean view staterooms on Deck 3 forward and starboard. Two gents in their 30s, and a male/female couple in their 60s.

 

Why Grandeur? We chose the ship because of the destination. His parents wanted minimal travel to a port. Since we all live in Maryland, we chose to depart from Baltimore rather than going to the NYC area or elsewhere. This made it really easy on the two of us since a 25-minute Uber/Lyft ride was all we needed to get from home and to the port and back. This really helped get the vacation off to a quick start and certainly factored into booking our second sailing on the ship.

 

How alive was the ship? The ship had a good atmosphere overall, but some parts of it, especially the South Pacific Lounge, were underutilized. Additionally, the average age of the passengers was on the high sides but was significantly lower than I expected it to be given what I had read here. Even so, lots of good energy from the passengers and crew; most people seemed like they were enjoying themselves. The ship definitely had a lot of charm and character; it is easy to see why people review it fondly.

 

What did we eat? Lots.

• Breakfast: I only ever ate breakfast in the Windjammer (WJ). We heard good things about the Main Dining Room (MDR) for breakfast but never ate there. For the most part, breakfast in the WJ was the same each day with just a few dishes varying from day to day. This worked out well -- I really enjoyed the egg white scramble and was happy to find it available each day. Most days there was also smoked salmon.
  
• Lunch: I only ever ate lunch in the WJ. Certain sections of it, like the salad bar, pizza area, and burger station, were largely the same every day, but there was good variety in the rest of the buffet. Some of the favorites for the week were Irish lamb stew, grilled fish, pavlovas, and various cold "salads" (e.g., beet salad, kimchi salad, etc.).
  
• Dinner: We pre-purchased three nights of specialty dining, and, while onboard, also purchased Chef's Table for our final night of the cruise. On the other nights, the four of us did My Time Dining in the MDR at 7:00 p.m., and it never took more than a total of 90 minutes (usually closer to 65). Overall, the selection in the MDR was good and quality was reasonable, and the service there was impeccable. Although they had the menus with the desserts listed, only the first night in the MDR (Day 2) did they actually have us order it all together; the other three nights, they re-presented the full menu and asked us then to select dessert. The quality in Chop's Grille and Giovanni's Table was mostly better than the MDR but, unless you absolutely want something on their menu, the difference in quality was not enough to justify the price difference. The Chef's Table experience was superb and worth every penny of the $50 (it was discounted to that price pre-gratuity).
  

Beverage package: Pre-cruise, we booked the deluxe beverage package for $39/day (pre-gratuity). We certainly drank well and partook in primarily wine, spirits, sodas, specialty coffees (tea for me), bottles of water, and some beer -- in other words, anything and everything. Alcohol was one of the most confusing things onboard the ship -- at least one of the wines was only available at Giovanni's Table even though it was on the menu for the MDR, and I believe the prices of some of the wines varied across the ship. Similarly, there was no sparkling wine on the menu below the $12 of the package cut-off, yet you could order some of the cocktails from the menus made nearly completely of sparkling wine and those cocktails did cost $12 or less. You could probably get the sparkling wine used in those cocktails as part of the package, but we never cared enough to inquire. Another quirk was that sometimes I would order the same thing from the same bar yet get a different product, like a bloody mary in a ~5-oz. glass versus a ~12-oz. one -- very odd. Anyhow, all in all, the package was a good value for us. If you go the package route, know that the special cups needed to use the Freestyle Coke machines are in your stateroom, so you'll have to go without them until you can get to your room.

Gym: I used the gym four days. It is small (but adequate) but was fairly cramped on at-sea days, even at 3/4 in the afternoon. Also, access to the sauna and steam room is free, so indulge. Some days, there was literally no one else in the rooms but me. We hear that the steam room, etc. cost extra on other RCI ships, a factor in whether we will take one in the future.

 

Sea condition: It was somewhat rocky for a large portion of the trip and very rocky for a while on some of the days. I don't get seasick easily and did not, but two of the four of us did on Day 2, as did many others on board.

Ports:

• Charleston: This was Day 3 and St. Patrick's Day. The weather was excellent and we spent a few hours walking around. Adding in the walking on the ship, my Fitbit clocked more than 10 miles for the day. The city is charming -- lots of history and many, many older homes with lots of character. Also, many of the passengers had decorated their stateroom doors with green, as were the Centrum and some other parts of the ship.
  
• Florida: We did not get off the ship.
  
• Bahamas: First time here -- our previous cruise was to Bermuda. We went to the pirate museum in Nassau and walked through many shops. We were saving our beach time for the following day at CocoCay (CC). The ship sailed to CC, and we were in the WJ having an early breakfast when the captain announced conditions were not good enough for us to tender to the island, especially since they were expected to worsen as the day progressed. You could feel the mood change in the WJ, but given that we could also see the island and the state of the water, the decision came as little surprise.
  

Entertainment: All of it was enjoyable, but some of it was outstanding. The RCI singers and dancers on this ship are PHENOMENAL. There was also a Beatles tribute band that was really good. The comedians were pretty good. Michael Grimm (winner of the fifth season of America's Got Talent) was also pretty good. The "Love & Marriage" game show was quite fun with the three couples that were selected. We also liked the various performers in the Centrum and Schooner Bar.

 

Service: Overall, the service was really good, but sometimes it was rather slow. For example, sometimes there were 2-3 bartenders at a bar and other times only 1 even though the times of day and demand were comparable.

 

Positives: Charleston, Freestyle beverage machines, free access to steam room/gym, good entertainment

 

Negatives: Seat saving (especially in the Solarium by people who did not use them for extended periods of time), inconsistency of availability of beverages across bars

Thank you for the great review! We are sailing on the Grandeur in July. Do all rooms have a refrigerator? We're traveling with young grandson and need to have milk for him. Thanks!