herbanrenewal Posted September 18, 2014 #1 Share Posted September 18, 2014 I just wanted to share my thoughts on the Grandeur Sept 12 -18 cruise from Baltimore to Bermuda. As others have said, embarking and disembarking in Baltimore is a breeze. The port is literally right off interstate 95 and so easy to get to it.Within minutes of arriving we were onboard and after a walk around to familiarize ourselves with the Grandeur, we headed to Park Cafe for our first lunch onboard - those who recommended the roast beef sandwiches were right - they are delicious! And the Park Cafe is a nice way to miss the hustle and bustle and open platters of foods handled by others like what happens in the buffet at Windjammer. After lunch we could go to our room, change to swimsuits, and hit the pool. This was the plan, and we did get ready to swim, but this was a special occasion in Baltimore - the 200th anniversary of the writing of The Star-Spangled Banner at Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. In honor of the occasion the Blue Angels were doing an air show, and we figuratively had ringside seats, with the jets flying right over our ship. I have never seen the Blue Angels perform before and it is truly amazing. Recommendation - if you are staying in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore the night before you cruise, take the water taxi to get around the harbor, include a stop at Fort McHenry if you are interested in US History. Before you know it, its time to sail away, and it is a great port to sail from. The views along the Chesapeake are punctuated with great sights, including passing under the Key Bridge, then a little later under the Bay Bridge. Soon it was time for dinner. We had any time but favor an early dinner. Then close to midnight, over the tunnel portion of the bay bridge-tunnel. Its fascinating to see the lights of the bridge disappear into the waters over the tunnel.. This cruise only had one port- Bermuda. CREW This was my first experience on the Grandeur, and I was impressed! The crew is super. I can not possibly say enough great things about this crew. These are the most friendly, competent, terrific crew I have ever sailed with. FOOD As an Elite loyalty program member of Celebrity I have always heard and believed Celebrity had the best food - but our experience was the best ever on Grandeur. Each meal was a delight. I even liked the coffee. On our last cruise on the Celebrity Solstice we drank tea with every meal because the regular coffee was awful. this was pretty good on the Grandeur. Other than a galley tour/brunch we did not eat at any specialty restaurants, because we were so pleased with the staff and the food in the MDR. And that Galley tour/Brunch was spectacular! Lobster tail, huge shrimp, seafood skewers with shrimp and scallops, inch thick veal medallions were highlights, Mimosas and Bellinis were unlimited during the buffet brunch. I loved this brunch. ENTERTAINMENT The cruise director was always present, and there was a nice mix of activities. My only criticism is that the music is so loud at the pool deck that it is painful. And with the volume so high, when someone is talking on the mike, you can not understand anything that is said. The shows were pretty standard, though the second night, there was a singer, whose name I was sure I would remember but can not recall now except first name Zach. He was excellent, and my favorite show of this cruise. The production shows were okay, but nothing special. BERMUDA the 6 day itinerary is promoted as 3 days in Bermuda, but we really had only one good port day. We arrived at 4pm on sunday, when public transportation stops at 6pm, so if you didn't use an excursion or a cab, you couldn't go to a beach other than the little snorkel park at the docklands. I heard several people say the glass bottom boat was a waste of time and money, but since we did not do this (or any other) tour I couldn't speak to this. Our full day in Bermuda was wonderful. We had bought our 1 day transportation pass for $15 sunday afternoon, so we just walked over to the St Georges Ferry for the first run at 9:15. Arriving in St Georges we walked around the town to see the local sites, then walked by the Unfinished Church, to Tobacco Bay. Although it includes a hill, its an easy .8km walk to the beach - and its a beautiful beach with easy snorkeling in protected calm waters. We were enjoying the beach so much that we stayed longer than originally planned and were in the water for well over 90 minutes. I overheard a couple discussing an excursion they took and that there were more fish and better snorkeling experience at this beach than they saw on the snorkel catamaran tour to the reef. My personal experience, this really was a great place to snorkel. The facilities include a rest room and changing room, but no shower. We were able to rinse hair and face in the sink, and change into dry clothes. We were also able to refill our water bottles for free at the concession stand. they also sell bottled water, snacks, and drinks and have umbrellas and chairs available We walked back to town just in time to catch the hourly bus #1 back towards Hamilton, passing the Swizzle Inn and The Caves. We got off at the stop for the Botanical Garden (I'm an avid gardener). We didn't see the entrance so missed it, circling around the hospital looking for the gardens. Finally found it, and spent about an hour walking through the gardens. It was HOT, and even though the gardens are lovely, we felt drained by this walk. Exiting the gardens helpful locals showed us where to get the #7 bus towards the Dockyards - this bus runs every 15 minutes. This is the bus that passes all the South Beaches including Warwick and Horseshoe Bay. But we were so drained from the heat that we just stayed on the bus, and went back to the ship. Altogether our self-guided day in Bermuda was a successful 6+ hours, but if I had it to do over I would have skipped the gardens in the heat, and stopped at either Warwick or Horseshoe Bay. Our last day in Bermuda was short since we needed to return to the ship by 11am for departure at noon. We stayed in the Dockyards, exploring the shops. Its a pretty area, but not much to do with such a brief time before departure. Overall, we loved this cruise, loved the ship, loved Bermuda...Our next time in Bermuda we will probably look closer at itinerary to chose a cruise with more time in port, maybe look for a 7 day. Definitely want more time than we had in Bermuda. But would definitely do more Baltimore to Bermuda cruises on the Grandeur! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComeOnLetsGo Posted September 18, 2014 #2 Share Posted September 18, 2014 I'm glad you enjoyed Bermuda and I hope you do visit us again and stay longer. Great review too, thanks for sharing :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njhorseman Posted September 18, 2014 #3 Share Posted September 18, 2014 You didn't address it directly, but can we conclude that the private mini bus shuttles to Horseshoe Bay do not operate late enough in the day on Sunday to be used by late afternoon arriving Grandeur passengers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbanrenewal Posted September 18, 2014 Author #4 Share Posted September 18, 2014 You didn't address it directly, but can we conclude that the private mini bus shuttles to Horseshoe Bay do not operate late enough in the day on Sunday to be used by late afternoon arriving Grandeur passengers? I did not see the shuttle on Sunday. I asked and was told that if we took the shuttle or #7 bus to Horseshoe, we would need to return immediately or on the same shuttle because that would be the last one. The shuttle schedule seems like pretty shortsighted planning. If the purpose of the shuttle is to provide reliable transport for cruise passengers, leaving the local buses available for the locals, then surely the schedule should focus on when the cruise ships are in port. On Sunday we were the only ship in port, arriving mid afternoon, and there was no transportation to the beaches. For the Grandeur's sunday arrival there is absolutely nothing the do unless you take a taxi or cruise excursion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meatball_nyc Posted September 18, 2014 #5 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Nice review. Thank you for sharing. We were in Bermuda for three full days, Wednesday to Friday, departing at 5pm on the Breakaway. Loved it so much we will be doing it again next year. Even with three days we didn't get to do everything we wanted. Bermuda is now our favorite place to visit. Thanks again for the review. Glad you had a great cruise! Happy Sailing! ~Robin Every Day at Sea is a Great Day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted September 18, 2014 #6 Share Posted September 18, 2014 Thank you for an interesting review. I am trying to decide whether a Bermuda cruise is in my future for 2015. Your information helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meatball_nyc Posted September 18, 2014 #7 Share Posted September 18, 2014 (edited) P.S. Sorry that your first day wasn't as good as it should have been. The new shuttle system isn't working well for the tourists wanting a beach day on a Sunday. ~Robin Every Day at Sea is a Great Day Edited September 18, 2014 by meatball_nyc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herbanrenewal Posted September 19, 2014 Author #8 Share Posted September 19, 2014 P.S.Sorry that your first day wasn't as good as it should have been. The new shuttle system isn't working well for the tourists wanting a beach day on a Sunday. ~Robin Every Day at Sea is a Great Day It may not have been a great Bermuda sightseeing day, but it was still a good day...and not getting to see as much of Bermuda as I wanted just means I need to come back again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meatball_nyc Posted September 19, 2014 #9 Share Posted September 19, 2014 Haha yes. A very very good excuse! One that we will be using to return next year. Happy Sailing! ~Robin Every Day at Sea is a Great Day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jules71 Posted September 20, 2014 #10 Share Posted September 20, 2014 I did not see the shuttle on Sunday. I asked and was told that if we took the shuttle or #7 bus to Horseshoe, we would need to return immediately or on the same shuttle because that would be the last one. The shuttle schedule seems like pretty shortsighted planning. If the purpose of the shuttle is to provide reliable transport for cruise passengers, leaving the local buses available for the locals, then surely the schedule should focus on when the cruise ships are in port. On Sunday we were the only ship in port, arriving mid afternoon, and there was no transportation to the beaches. For the Grandeur's sunday arrival there is absolutely nothing the do unless you take a taxi or cruise excursion. Very helpful (although disappointing). Agree that we should have looked closer at the itinerary before booking. We are still really looking forward to our cruise, but I always think it is better when you have the right expectations. Really appreciate your posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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