Grandeur in summer?

[davy jones]

I know that summer cruises are typically more crowded, due to school vacations.

 

For those who have sailed Grandeur this summer, How crowded does it get? Does it "feel" crowded and have long lines in the WJ and other areas of the ship? Are you able to find a quiet spot, particularly in the shade?

[greenline]

We sailed Grandeur to Bermuda I think in August and it did not feel crowded to me. I think the Grandeur is a nice ship not to big and not to small.

[Tatka]

Not the best Bermuda itin. With so little time there.

[ONECRUISER]

Sailed Grandeur 4-5 times, about 40 nites. Didn't seem as crowded and not as many kids with 3-5 a cabin as larger ships.

[greenline]

True about the time in Bermuda so plan a head of time what you will do. If you never have been to Bermuda I suggest you go to St George and do a walking tour. Celebrity has more time in port in Bermuda.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I have sailed on Grandeur several times--but usually spring/fall cruises.

 

I sailed on Grandeur for the first time during school vacation last summer. It was much more crowded than I was used to on spring and fall cruises. On two days there were no chairs available by the pool or on the deck above. There were a number of passengers than spread their towel directly on the deck above the pool.

 

Also, we noticed 3 children in the shallow edges of the pool in swim diapers. There were notices placed in the cruise compass about swim diapers, but they were ignored.

 

If you would like to visit Bermuda I would suggest leaving from Bayonne. These cruises have longer port days in Bermuda.

[breezy_carol]

We were on Grandeur this past July. I did not feel crowded at all. The only line was for the tender to CocoCay because the seas made for difficult docking at the ship.

 

We prefer to sit on the deck above the pool and had no trouble getting a chair.

[cb at sea]

All the ships sail pretty much FULL all the time. Grandeur holds fewer passengers, so it should feel less of a packed ship....RCI does a pretty good job with public spaces.

[Rogueperson]

This year, I was on the Grandeur in February and In July. There was no difference in the number of people. Ships generally sail full or close to full at all times.

 

What was different was the energy in the air. In February, the crowd was definitely more sedate. People took their time, it was a very relaxing cruise. There didn't seem to have an urgency in the air. In July, you can definitely tell it was a younger, energetic crowd. There were way more roving bands of kids throughout the ship, but they weren't misbehaving. The Viking crown lounge in the evenings was slightly active in February, but in July, it was very busy.

 

My big *gripe* if you can call it that was that the menu's in the MDR were virtually identical to what I had in February. There MIGHT have been an omission or addition of a dish, but for the most part, the "theme" of each night was the same (I was on a 9 night cruise in both February and July, but different ports).

[coolcruiser777]

This year, I was on the Grandeur in February and In July. There was no difference in the number of people. Ships generally sail full or close to full at all times.

 

What was different was the energy in the air. In February, the crowd was definitely more sedate. People took their time, it was a very relaxing cruise. There didn't seem to have an urgency in the air. In July, you can definitely tell it was a younger, energetic crowd. There were way more roving bands of kids throughout the ship, but they weren't misbehaving. The Viking crown lounge in the evenings was slightly active in February, but in July, it was very busy.

 

My big *gripe* if you can call it that was that the menu's in the MDR were virtually identical to what I had in February. There MIGHT have been an omission or addition of a dish, but for the most part, the "theme" of each night was the same (I was on a 9 night cruise in both February and July, but different ports).

 

Yes, it was very "energetic" indeed. The ship had only five empty cabins when a checked before we left and it didn't feel crowded at all. Lines were not long in the WJ, although it was a bit of a challenge to find a table if you are in a large group. Other than that, we simply loved the atmosphere on our cruise. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

 

If you want a quiet spot outside, the outdoor promenade on deck five was mostly empty for our cruise. Nice and breezy and also in the shade.

 

If you have the time next Summer I would suggest booking a nine day because it has a much better value than the five day one (price per night for the Bahamas itinerary is much less). It was only about ~$200 more but totally worth it for four extra nights. The Canada itinerary was more, though. The only complaint I have is the timing for the ports.

 

If you want a Bermuda only itinerary, like the others said, either sail on the Summit out of Bayonne (very good ship, only slightly bigger than Grandeur) or even the NCL Dawn out of Boston (also a good smaller ship). If you are even slightly worried about crowds, the NCL Escape or Breakaway (from NYC) is not your ship.

[davy jones]

We are looking at the 9 day itineraries next summer.

 

Thanks to all for your replies.

[CruiseMelissa]

We just got off Grandeur last weekend with our kids and the ship was supposedly booked solid. It never felt crowded to us. The WJ had just a few moments where we couldn't find a table but eventually did. We never did the pool in the daytime but it was always empty after dinner which was nice. We always had a chair in the shade on deck 5 where we sat, relaxed and read books while the kids were in the kids club.

[SRF]

We just got off Grandeur last Saturday. 9 night Bermuda/Bahamas.

 

The only time it felt crowded was one morning we went to breakfast in WJ around 9AM. Very few empty tables. But other times, it was fine.

 

A few chair hogs, but going up and grabbing chairs before breakfast (and occupying them right after), there was no problem getting the location you wanted.

 

Always empty seats for the shows.

 

Always a seat at the black jack table. :)

 

Specialty restaurants were not full the nights we went.

[Islander001]

We were on the 9 night Bermuda and Nassau cruise on Aug. 10 and it was not crowded at all. I could hardly believe that there were over 2000 passengers on the ship. The only crowded area I encountered was the Centrum and I attribute that to the fact that it is a relatively small area. The pools had lots of space. The windjammer was not crowded at least when I went for breakfast ( I am a late eater). There were always room in the theater for both early and late shows. There was little or no wait time to climb the rock wall (the kids climbed it several times). I enjoyed it and I think you will too.