Grandeur Aug. 25-Aug. 30 observations

[slyster]

Hi all...just returned from my 2nd cruise on Grandeur out of Baltimore. This was my 12th RC cruise. Both Grandeur sailings were to Bermuda. I travelled with some family members and we stayed in an Oceanview cabin on the 4th deck.

 

Observations:

 

1. Getting on board was a breeze. We arrived around 10:45. We needed wheelchair assistance for my 89 year old dad (informed them ahead of time) and we were able to board right away. They wheeled him to Guest Services and then to the windjammer where they said their goodbyes.

 

2, I was a bit concerned about being 5 cabins away from the Centrum (cabin 4066). I can confirm they close the doors to the centrum when they play really loud music. I remember for the 50s/60s event, it was closed, however, for the 70s event, it was not. When it was closed, we could not hear anything. I do remember hearing music, but it must have been when people opened and closed the doors. I really wonder if the first and second cabins hear even through the door being closed because I could hear it from the hall way.

 

3. The food...I have to comment on the food, right?! I loved all their soups (hot). Appetizers in MD were always good, but I felt some main courses fell a little short. I tried to tell my family to steer clear of the steak, but they didn't listen. My wife asked for medium (some pink) on two different nights and it was served well done. I told her to inform the dining staff, but she chose not to.

 

Chops...Again, LOVED the small plates and appetizers! The waiter told us medium would be a little pink. All our steaks came out medium rare (some pink, a lot of red). I ate it because I can do medium rare. My brothers medium well was still medium rare and he ended up not eating all of it. I told him to say something, but he chose not to. Desserts were good!

 

Windjammer was, well, the windjammer. I already had my expectations and am used to eating there. I couldn't be disappointed, because I knew what I was getting LOL. I loved my morning made-to-order omelets and finally on the last day, got some really crispy bacon LOL

 

Late night food...yuck...I was prepared for this though. You got a choice of hot dogs, nachos, or cardboard pizza. Oh I did realize they had some sandwiches so I had a couple of those. They may have been left from the park café?

 

4. Entertainment...there always seemed to be something to do. I loved the evening entertainment. The comedians were good, the Motown show, the production shows were definitely enjoyable too. I missed the Quest for the first time in a long time! I was just too tired to make it past 11:15.

 

5. The cabin...I haven't had an ocean view in quite some time. It didn't disappoint. The only negative thing I can say is, I hate the shower curtains, if I had to say one negative thing about Grandeur, that would be it. A petty thing, I know, but it also means that I love the rest LOL! NOTE: if anyone has a tip on how to avoid the shower curtain sticking to you, please share!

 

.6 Disembarkation. I was a bit nervous about this. We needed wheelchair assistance again and this meant we had to go to deck 6. When we walked out of our cabin, we were met with a HUGE line (I think self disembark???). I had to guide my 89 year old father, deaf and blind, down the hall, through the centrum to the elevator. I have to say this...when we came out of the cabin, I sort of hollered, I needed to get to the centrum, deck 6, my dad is 89, deaf and blind. Folks were soooo kind! Moving to the side, passing the word up that were on the way LOL. We got to the centrum and I got the attention of a crew member and explained my concern with guiding my father through the packed crowd. She helped us to the elevators, got the elevator for us, and up to the 6th deck we went. So many things could have gone wrong with that! We were in group 2 so our wait was very short. As we were lead down to deck 1 and past the long line of people waiting for customs, I was suddenly grateful my dad was being assisted off the ship. I wonder how long it would have been otherwise. My wife and friend had to get in the customs line once we entered the building, and I stayed with my dad. It took less than 2 minutes. From the time, we left deck 6 to the outside terminal, was maybe 5-7 minutes.

 

7. The crew! I have to say out of all my 12 cruises with Royal Caribbean, this was absolutely my favorite crew! Our stateroom attendant, Allan, was awesome! He took such good care of us. We would leave the cabin for 45 minutes or an hour, and the cabin was already taken care of. Our dining room team, Michael and Ronald were really great too! They were always there to greet us and help my dad with the wheelchair. Ronald even serenaded us and a couple of other tables on two different nights LOL. We went to captains corner and I shared with the hotel director, how wonderful the crew was!

 

8. The ONLY hiccup of the whole cruise is my dad fell in the bathroom. We took him to the infirmary and found out he fractured a rib :-( Poor guy. You ask him, "does it hurt"? and his only answer, always, is "a little". We took this trip for our dad. I do want to say that any fall on the ship is covered and we didn't have to pay for any of the xrays or exam.

 

Honestly except maybe for the food being just okay, I was reminded of why there are still smaller, intimate ships. I wouldn't hesitate to sail on Grandeur again. It was almost perfect! Just please do something with the shower curtains! The next drydock is next year, I believe? LOL!

[nasalspray]

Thanks for the detailed recap; we cruise on GOS next March. Did you do any excursions?

[birdylady]

Thank you for taking time to share your experience. I am sorry your father hurt himself, but so thankful it wasn't more serious. I'm also very happy to hear you loved the crew. They can certainly make or break a vacation. We are looking forward to sailing her next year.

 

Erika

[ridgecrest]

DW and I sailed on the Grandeur for the first time August 2017. Having sailed on the larger ships, we were concerned about its size but once we were on board, we loved her. It is a great ship with unique qualities.

 

I enjoyed your review and agree with most all your points except that our experience with the late night dining was different. Every night, there were the standard snacks but they would also have 1 or 2 different items such as wings, meatballs, mac and cheese. It was great!

 

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[slyster]

DW and I sailed on the Grandeur for the first time August 2017. Having sailed on the larger ships, we were concerned about its size but once we were on board, we loved her. It is a great ship with unique qualities.

 

 

 

I enjoyed your review and agree with most all your points except that our experience with the late night dining was different. Every night, there were the standard snacks but they would also have 1 or 2 different items such as wings, meatballs, mac and cheese. It was great!

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

 

 

Oh wow! Where did you get the wings, meatballs, and Mac and cheese? We only knew of the park cafe.

 

 

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[slyster]

Thanks for the detailed recap; we cruise on GOS next March. Did you do any excursions?

 

 

 

We did a private tour, 4 hours on day 2, $280 for 5 people. We LOVED it! Well worth it. We had a couple of requests of what we wanted to see and then the guide showed us a couple of other places too. So worth it! The guide was great too!

 

 

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[DancerMama25]

Hi! Thanks for the review of your cruise. Sorry about your Dad; I hope he heals quickly!

 

I haven’t read all the responses, but I have a solution for your shower curtain problem. Take along a few pinch clothespins. Pin them along the bottom and it weighs the edge down enough so the shower curtain won’t blow toward you and stick. I HATE that feeling, so I understand the frustration. Good luck!

[Merion_Mom]

 

Late night food...yuck...I was prepared for this though. You got a choice of hot dogs, nachos, or cardboard pizza. Oh I did realize they had some sandwiches so I had a couple of those. They may have been left from the park café?

 

Weren't you AT the Park Café? :confused:

 

 

5. The cabin...I haven't had an ocean view in quite some time. It didn't disappoint. The only negative thing I can say is, I hate the shower curtains, if I had to say one negative thing about Grandeur, that would be it. A petty thing, I know, but it also means that I love the rest LOL! NOTE: if anyone has a tip on how to avoid the shower curtain sticking to you, please share!

 

 

Hi! Thanks for the review of your cruise. Sorry about your Dad; I hope he heals quickly!

 

I haven’t read all the responses, but I have a solution for your shower curtain problem. Take along a few pinch clothespins. Pin them along the bottom and it weighs the edge down enough so the shower curtain won’t blow toward you and stick. I HATE that feeling, so I understand the frustration. Good luck!

 

I use large binder clips. Effective AND cheap. :D

 

 

[Racer70]

Thanks for the review. We're sailing on the Grandeur out of Baltimore for the 1st time on the October 6 sailing.

 

We've heard sailing out of Baltimore is very easy and cruise friendly.

 

 

On departure from Baltimore, were you able to see the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, The Bay-Tunnel Bridge before heading out to open water or was it dark by the time you reached these points?

 

Did you feel that you were able to enjoy Bermuda with the short time docked?

 

I do wish the itinerary got us into Bermuda at 9:00 a.m. and left the next day at 5:30 p.m.

[slyster]

Weren't you AT the Park Café? :confused:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I use large binder clips. Effective AND cheap. :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes I guess that is confusing LOL. You are right. It is park cafe but I almost see it as a separate venue late at night. I don’t see park cafe serving that kind of food but they do. LOL. The day time park cafe and night time park cafe. Those are my names LOL.

 

I see the sandwiches from day time park cafe. [emoji16]

 

 

 

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[slyster]

Thanks for the review. We're sailing on the Grandeur out of Baltimore for the 1st time on the October 6 sailing.

 

We've heard sailing out of Baltimore is very easy and cruise friendly.

 

 

On departure from Baltimore, were you able to see the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, The Bay-Tunnel Bridge before heading out to open water or was it dark by the time you reached these points?

 

Did you feel that you were able to enjoy Bermuda with the short time docked?

 

I do wish the itinerary got us into Bermuda at 9:00 a.m. and left the next day at 5:30 p.m.

 

 

 

We had two medical emergencies happen right in front of us happen right at muster drill. We didn’t leave until after 5pm. We saw the Chesapeake bay bridge. We had day light until after 7:30.

 

 

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[SRF]

Good review.

 

We are on the Aug 16 - 25 sailing. :D

 

LOVE Grandeur. The staff is amazing. We did the same cruise last year, in the same cabin, so had the same attendant. She remembered us from last year. As did a couple of the pool bartenders. And the waiter in Chops, remembered us from Giovanni's last year.

 

No problems with the shower curtain, but we tend to sail in suites, so have a tub/shower, that gives more room.

 

We had a helicopter evac the first night, about the time we passed the mouth of the Potomac. I heard heart attack.

[Rogueperson]

Thanks for the review. We're sailing on the Grandeur out of Baltimore for the 1st time on the October 6 sailing.

 

We've heard sailing out of Baltimore is very easy and cruise friendly.

 

 

On departure from Baltimore, were you able to see the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, The Bay-Tunnel Bridge before heading out to open water or was it dark by the time you reached these points?

 

Did you feel that you were able to enjoy Bermuda with the short time docked?

 

I do wish the itinerary got us into Bermuda at 9:00 a.m. and left the next day at 5:30 p.m.

 

I can answer this one for you.

 

Assuming you depart on time at 4:00pm, the first bridge is the Key Bridge, about 30 minutes after pulling out of the port. Chesapeake Bay Bridge is about 2 hours away more or less. You'll be traveling before Daylight saving time ends, so it will still be light at 6:00pm. However, my last cruise in April on Grandeur, I was coming up the elevator at 5:55pm, and saw the bridge spans from the elevator, so it was sooner less than 2 hours, and on other cruise, it was closer to 6:15, so it can vary. I'd aim to be on deck by 5:40 just to be sure. Its an awesome sight to behold. My first cruise on Grandeur was over new years eve, and it was dark when we passed the bay bridge.

 

Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is much farther. Usually we pass over the tunnel between midnight and 12:30.

[Edhoff]

We were on the same cruise, room 4074 and did see you and your dad in the hallway a few times. Completely agree with your review. We actually felt the Windjammer had more of a selection for dinner then the MD, except for the apps, they also have cold soups. Deserts were pretty to look at, but not that tasty.

[slyster]

We were on the same cruise, room 4074 and did see you and your dad in the hallway a few times. Completely agree with your review. We actually felt the Windjammer had more of a selection for dinner then the MD, except for the apps, they also have cold soups. Deserts were pretty to look at, but not that tasty.

 

 

 

Oh that’s right! Dad in the hallway with the wheelchair.

 

You were right next to the centrum? How was the noise with the door open and closed?

 

 

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[Edhoff]

Oh that’s right! Dad in the hallway with the wheelchair.

 

You were right next to the centrum? How was the noise with the door open and closed?

 

 

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Noise was not an issue for us. Would book again, nice to be 5 steps to centrum and 15-20 to MDR

[laumicmah]

Questions...

1) we are booked for Jan 3 on this ship for our 2nd Royal  cruise (13th overall). We just moved cabins (were on deck 7 with 2 cabins, 3 kids in one and us 2 adults in other and DS-21 dropped out so RCL made us move cabins). We are now on deck 3 mid, right under the centrum staircase area. How late does the music play? Do you think noise past 11pm will be an issue (I am a light sleeper)?

 

2) what are the food counters aside from the buffet (like Carnival has Guy's burgers, Guy's BBQ, Wok, Blue Iguana Cantina)? Does this ship have anything comparable? 

 

3) we have anytime dining but I made resies already. How hard is it to change that? Can we show up early and ask to wait for table? Or late?

 

4) can you do the MDR for breakfast or lunch on seadays?

Edited October 24, 2018 by laumicmah

[Clarea]

19 minutes ago, laumicmah said:

 ... Can we show up early and ask to wait for table? Or late?

 

4) can you do the MDR for breakfast or lunch on seadays?

 

If you have reservations and are going to show up late (or not at all), it's courteous to notify the MTD desk so they can use your table for someone else.

 

The MDR is open for breakfast every day,  and for lunch on sea days.

[laumicmah]

2 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

If you have reservations and are going to show up late (or not at all), it's courteous to notify the MTD desk so they can use your table for someone else.

 

The MDR is open for breakfast every day,  and for lunch on sea days.

That's great. If anything, we'll show early some days. Thanks!

[SRF]

The only food counter is the Park Cafe in the Solarium.  They serve various things during the day.  Sandwiches, pizza, salads, sweets.

 

You have 3 specialty restaurants that are extra change.  Chops steakhouse, Giovannis Italian, and Izumi Asian.  Normally, they will offer you when you board and once on board, a package for 3 or more nights.  They say one of each, but they do not hold you to that, you buy a 3 night package and eat all 3 nights in the same restaurant.

[laumicmah]

24 minutes ago, SRF said:

The only food counter is the Park Cafe in the Solarium.  They serve various things during the day.  Sandwiches, pizza, salads, sweets.

 

You have 3 specialty restaurants that are extra change.  Chops steakhouse, Giovannis Italian, and Izumi Asian.  Normally, they will offer you when you board and once on board, a package for 3 or more nights.  They say one of each, but they do not hold you to that, you buy a 3 night package and eat all 3 nights in the same restaurant.

We already pre bought the 3 night package for dinners. Selected first night at 6:30. We want to try all 3. Thanks.

[SRF]

They are all good.

 

For Izumi, the menu is ala carte, they give you $35 per person "credit."  We have not come close to spending it.

 

At Chops and Giovannis, the entree is one, everything else is as many apps, sides, desserts as you want.  And at Giovannis, the pasta course is unlimited choices also.