Hot Tips For Grandeur Of The Seas

[Balto. Guys]

We set sail in just 5 days!!! This will be our 1st time on the Lady G. Any hot tips for this ship?

[biomedbob]

Worst ship in the fleet!.......Run like hell! :D

[Ivana Cruise]

Last time I was on Grandeur we did two things I would highly recommend if they still do it. The first was the Prime Kitchen dinner. It was a table for two (or 4) IN the kitchen during dinner service. It was so interesting and by far the best meal I have ever had on a cruise ship. Here is a link to the review I did at the time.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2112877

Second is the Sushi making class in Izumi. There was no raw sushi, I'm actually not a sushi fan, and so much food we couldn't eat half of it! The class fills up fast so sign up on day one to get a spot!

[wvufan]

We have been on the Grandeur many times (last in Nov) and really like the smaller ships.

 

The port of Baltimore has the best embarkation. When you first get on, go straight to the Park Cafe. Avoids crowds at the Windjammer. The roast beef sandwiches are super.

 

Unfortunately, the casino reeks of smoke, but I guess that's good because it saves me a lot of money ;)..

 

The cookies etc at the coffee specialty stand are free.

 

If you want to eat at Chops, go the first night and get the discount.

 

Any specific questions?

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE Baby :D:D Bob and Phyl

[turning40withMickey]

We have been on the Grandeur many times (last in Nov) and really like the smaller ships.

 

The port of Baltimore has the best embarkation. When you first get on, go straight to the Park Cafe. Avoids crowds at the Windjammer. The roast beef sandwiches are super.

 

Unfortunately, the casino reeks of smoke, but I guess that's good because it saves me a lot of money ;)..

 

The cookies etc at the coffee specialty stand are free.

 

If you want to eat at Chops, go the first night and get the discount.

 

Any specific questions?

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE Baby :D:D Bob and Phyl

 

Thanks for the tips! Looking forward to my first Grandeur cruise as well. I like a less hectic start, and Park Cafe sounds like it will fit the bill!

[ComputerDad]

We have been on the Grandeur many times (last in Nov) and really like the smaller ships.

 

The port of Baltimore has the best embarkation. When you first get on, go straight to the Park Cafe. Avoids crowds at the Windjammer. The roast beef sandwiches are super.

 

Unfortunately, the casino reeks of smoke, but I guess that's good because it saves me a lot of money ;)..

 

The cookies etc at the coffee specialty stand are free.

 

If you want to eat at Chops, go the first night and get the discount.

 

Any specific questions?

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE Baby :D:D Bob and Phyl

 

Please explain about the discount. Thanks

[moopetguy]

Worst ship in the fleet!.......Run like hell! :D

 

LOL, the deck plates and other steel components of the structure creak a bit. Those who are a bit more of the nervous types might think the ship is going to fall apart due to metal fatigue :)

 

Some people may find it more annoying than alarming, though -- we heard creaking from inside our stateroom, especially when the seas were choppier and there was more rolling and pitching. Not enough to keep us awake, though.

[moopetguy]

Please explain about the discount. Thanks

 

The promotion I've seen before is that if you book a Day 1 specialty dining reservation, you receive a 20% OBC.

 

There are also specialty dining packages if you do 3+ bookings with increasing percentages of OBC offered in return.

[John&LaLa]

We set sail in just 5 days!!! This will be our 1st time on the Lady G. Any hot tips for this ship?

 

Dress warmly

[Grannycb]

How is the internet on Grandeur? Booking an internet package before sailing cost $20 per day. What is it if we wait until getting on the ship?

[Clarea]

How is the internet on Grandeur? Booking an internet package before sailing cost $20 per day. What is it if we wait until getting on the ship?

Same price on the ship. No C&A discount if you book pre-cruise.

[John&LaLa]

How is the internet on Grandeur? Booking an internet package before sailing cost $20 per day. What is it if we wait until getting on the ship?

 

Not sure about Grandeur, but some ships lower the price later in the cruise

[John Reid]

We recently returned from a great cruise on Grandeur (before the storm). It was our third RCCL cruise out of Baltimore and our sixth total from Baltimore.

It is a drive-to port for us; 116 miles from Delaware. On our fifth Baltimore cruise, we were looking at the parking area at about 2:00 after arriving much earlier and fighting crowds (though Baltimore is a great port to sail from).

 

Things were quiet down there so we decided to try a later arrival for the Grandeur cruise.

 

We arrived at the parking lot at 1:55. We were the only car dropping off luggage. We were the only car at the booth to pay parking. Easy parking on the side of the terminal. No one in the screening line. They didn't even check our wine and soda. Walked right up to a check-in agent and then straight onto the ship. Went straight to our stateroom (which was ready) and dropped off our small bags and soda/wine. We hadn't expected to be able to get lunch and planned for an early dinner. We ended up going to Windjammer at 2:30 and found a table fairly easily - a first. People had left to go to their rooms.

 

It was easier than I could possibly have imagined. That is our new arrival time in Baltimore now.

 

To explore the ship to get a quick feel of things, you will enter on deck 4. Take a look around at the Centrum/atrium. Then walk up to deck five and walk the length. Then go up one more and walk the length of deck six. At that point you will have seen most of the indoor public areas. Then head up to deck 9. Windjammer is at the front of the ship; somewhat of an anomaly on this class of ship. Walk the deck back to the Solarium and Park Cafe area.

Might be too cold to walk deck 10; but you could visit the Viking Crown Lounge if you wish. We don't use that space.

 

I believe our muster drill was at 3:30 but of course started late. The sail-away party was in the Centrum.

 

We were always able to find seats for two at shows in the theater.

 

If you are planning to go to Quest; definitely go to the Superstar Karaoke scheduled before Quest. It is the only way to get a seat because everyone stays.

 

The outdoor promenade on deck 5 is great for walking.

 

If you want any of the baked treats at the Starbucks/Lattetudes counter, just ask. They are free.

 

If it matters to you, the casino is smoke free on formal nights.

 

Have a great cruise.

[Cowcrazy65]

Any Idea when the open the doors and start the check in process? It appears you maybe able to board by 10 am

[Bookish Angel]

The book nook on deck four is slim pickings unless you are a Romance or "sweeping saga" fan.

[oldguysandgalls]

We sailed on the Grandeur (out of Baltimore) a few years ago and it was a " Grand" cruise in every aspect.

(We hope to sail on the Grandeur again....soon)

Edited February 9, 2016 by oldguysandgalls

[Bookish Angel]

as I noticed that the ship store prices were very inflated for essentials like toothpaste, etc. Surprisingly, L'occitane Verbena bath gel 8.4 ounce bottles were $19, slighty cheaper per ounce than 16.9 ounce bottles on the L'occitane website. I bought 4 bottles of it plus a couple other items on as I had a $100 credit from RCI that had to be used on board. My total owed to RCI at disembarkation was 49 cents.

 

If you want an RCI t-shirt, wait for the two for $20 sale on select t-shirts. My friend and I only wanted just one each for our husbands, so she charged them both on her seapass and I gave her $10 cash. Purchased separately, each shirt would have cost $16.95. We each got one of the very few that did not have those plastic areas on the shirt - those make ME perspire and smell like Satan's outhouse.

 

I never purchase Internet on a ship. My $7.25 a month phone plan includes non-roaming texts and calls from San Juan and St. Thomas so I sent texts or made short calls home while in those ports.

 

Go to the theatre at least 45 minutes prior to a film showing to get a good seat. Films are also shown outdoors by the main outdoor pool but the windy conditions on my January 25 cruise made it hard for me to hear outdoors. Plus, our snacks and water cups blew away!

 

We used a better Business Bureau travel agent that offers on board credit and we had RCI credit and refund of port fees and taxes for our changed itinerery and delayed embarkation due to Snowstorm Jonas. We took that money as cash and we each came home with $140 cash.

Edited February 9, 2016 by Bookish Angel

[CarolRoy]

Totally agree!

Worst ship in the fleet!.......Run like hell! :D

[John Reid]

Call me crazy, but I think the OP completed the cruise on January 24.

[LegalE2010]

Call me crazy, but I think the OP completed the cruise on January 24.

 

If we're being honest, we are all a little crazy... I, for one, appreciate the continued posting on old threads such as this, since I still haven't sailed :)

[mjwcruising]

If we're being honest, we are all a little crazy... I, for one, appreciate the continued posting on old threads such as this, since I still haven't sailed :)

 

I totally agree with LegalE2010, I am just starting to research Grandeur of the seas because we are contemplating sailing on her in the near future and know nothing about her. I am interested in any and all info about her.

[John&LaLa]

If we're being honest, we are all a little crazy... I, for one, appreciate the continued posting on old threads such as this, since I still haven't sailed :)

 

Really not that old. 2008, now that's old

[zebra36]

I will probably get dinged for this but a good while back I sent in a suggestion that a date stamp go along with the original post so we could judge if the item was still relevant and looks like that went nowhere.