Live! DragonOfTheSeas' B2B on the Grandeur of the Seas 3.28 to 4.18.19

[h20skibum]

I know the DL is typically closed on boarding day, but do you know if they add the three happy hour drinks to your card on boarding day?


Past Reviews post 184

[Clarea]

3 minutes ago, h20skibum said:

I know the DL is typically closed on boarding day, but do you know if they add the three happy hour drinks to your card on boarding day?


Past Reviews post 184

 

Yes, you will get the drink vouchers on boarding day, but they cannot be used until the cocktail period that evening.

[Jlppsu]

On 3/31/2019 at 8:06 PM, DragonOfTheSeas said:

Since a couple of you had questions about teens I stopped and got one of their cruise compasses.  These activities are designed for the 12-17 age group. 

 

There is one compass for days 1-5 and I assume there will be one more for the rest of the cruise.  

 

Every night there is a dance party for teens only.  I can not say how well attended it is.  I have not seen many teens on the ship. 

 

 

LOVE the information VERY helpful!

Thanks!

[Cru1s1ng2009]

thanks for posting the teen/young adult stuff. My DD is freaking out because the girl who normally books the same cruise as us every year is going the week after us. She thinks she wont make friends. Hardly...

[DragonOfTheSeas]

2 hours ago, h20skibum said:

I know the DL is typically closed on boarding day, but do you know if they add the three happy hour drinks to your card on boarding day?
Past Reviews post 184

The diamond lounge is open on boarding day.  You can go there for drinks and apps.  Also you will have tree vouchers loaded to your seapass card.  You can use them in any bar.  

 

[Celebrity does not have the lounge on boarding day--maybe that is what you are remembering.]

 

PS--happy hour is 4:30pm to 8:00pm.

Edited April 6, 2019 by DragonOfTheSeas

[DragonOfTheSeas]

We are currently traveling the Chesapeake Bay.  I enjoyed going under the bridge as much as the first time. LOL

 

FYI--I passed through the casino earlier.  It was not open, but there were several lessons going on at the gaming tables.  There were quite a few passengers there. 

 

Here are  a few items from the Cruise Compass:

 

The Sailaway Party is in the Centrum 4pm

 

There is a free liquor tasting for some brands [Ciroc, Sheridans and others]  If you buy them you save 50% on cost. 6-7pm and 8:15-9:15pm.  They say bottles are 33% bigger than at home. 

 

They are offering the internet starting at $9.95.day again.  The first 2 days only. I often see  the question about buying the internet on sale before a cruise or waiting to board.  Then you can use a Diamond or diamond + coupon.  

 

The movie is Bumblebee 9pm Palladium Theatre.

 

There is a meeting of solo and single cruisers.11:30pm

 

and of course there is March Madness. . . although it is April.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

We had the Meet and Mingle this morning in the south Pacific Lounge at 10:15.  That is much better than the first cruise where it was at 9am. I got to reconnect with several people DH and I have met on cruises over the years.  We made plans to meet in the lounge before dinner

 

One funny situation was during the raffle for prizes.  Most of the prizes are souvenir type items i.e.. key chains, hats, highlighters, etc. Also, they always give out a few bottles of wine.  One of the souvenir type prizes is a cloth ball on a string.  The CD John Blair always makes a big deal out of not knowing what in the world they are for. . . but, he includes one in most prize grouping of souvenirs. 

 

One of the winners was a little girl sitting in the front row.  John made a joke about the ball and handed a bunch of items in a hat to the little girl.  He went on to call the next number.  About a minute later the little girl brings John a bag. The ball is a reusable cloth bag with a RCL logo. [compressed into a ball]  Leave it to a child to figure it out what it is and how to open it. .  

 

John said we have 40 children on this cruise.  He says on the next cruise they will have 440.  Yikes!

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I thought I would address some of the healthier activities around the ship.  

 

The Rock Wall is open from 10am to noon and 2-4pm.  At 4pm there is a teen speed climb.

 

There are yoga, cycling and Pilates classes in the fitness center with a charge.  However, there are two free classes:  Fab Abs 7:30-8am and Stretch and Relax 5-5:30pm.  Maybe someone that has attended one of these classes will comment.

 

The fitness center gets crowded first thing in the morning with people getting in their workout.  It fills up again in the afternoon.  On port days it is almost empty.

[HLR]

10 minutes ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

John said we have 40 children on this cruise.  He says on the next cruise they will have 440.  Yikes!

 

That would be the April 18th sailing? That's Mine! Oh boy!

 

Howard

[DragonOfTheSeas]

3 minutes ago, HLR said:

 

That would be the April 18th sailing? That's Mine! Oh boy!

 

Howard

 

Yes, I know that most of the MD counties between Baltimore and DC has spring vacation all of part of the week before Easter and Easter Monday.  There will be lots of families onboard.

[breezy_carol]

On 4/5/2019 at 7:49 PM, DragonOfTheSeas said:

DH is a list maker he writes down the dates of our trips, where went etc.  Also, he writes down the book titles he reads and the dates he completes them. So, I do too

You might like like the app Goodreads.  Our local librarian got me to use it.  You can list books that you have read and ones you want to read.  If you find a book you want to save, you can scan the barcode on the book and save it.  I really like it.  And it is free.  (I still keep a paperlist of books I've read.)

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I was dismayed to see that they have put bags out on the stairwells.  That is usually an indication that we have rough seas ahead. 

 

At lunch we could see that we are heading for a storm.  However, there is only a gentle sway at the current time.   Fingers crossed. 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I think the Captain was able to skirt the Storm.  It is rather cloudy--but smooth seas. 

 

Tonight's headliner show is an illusionist, Bill Cook. 

 

There is Big Band music and dancing in the South Pacific Lounge starting at 9:45pm.

 

Also, I forgot to mention there was a Dance Fit class with the Cruise Director's staff. I know that did not include the Cruise Director or the Activities Manager [John and Katrina Blair] because they were leading an interdenominational service at the same time. 

 

Todays movies are in the Palladium Theatre: Second Act  [1:30pm] and Johnny English Strikes Again [10pm]

 

Here is a picture of the Palladium Theatre.  

[birdylady]

On 4/6/2019 at 7:41 PM, DragonOfTheSeas said:

We are currently traveling the Chesapeake Bay.  I enjoyed going under the bridge as much as the first time. LOL

 

FYI--I passed through the casino earlier.  It was not open, but there were several lessons going on at the gaming tables.  There were quite a few passengers there.

Am I correct in assuming since it takes till about midnight to go under the final bridge, that the casino is not open the first night? Or do they get some sort of 'grace period' to open before they hit international waters?
Thanx,

Erika

[Merion_Mom]

1 hour ago, birdylady said:

Am I correct in assuming since it takes till about midnight to go under the final bridge, that the casino is not open the first night? Or do they get some sort of 'grace period' to open before they hit international waters?
Thanx,

Erika

 

Casino and shops do not open on the Grandeur until Day 2.

[Merion_Mom]

18 hours ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

We had the Meet and Mingle this morning in the south Pacific Lounge at 10:15.  That is much better than the first cruise where it was at 9am. I got to reconnect with several people DH and I have met on cruises over the years.  We made plans to meet in the lounge before dinner

 

One funny situation was during the raffle for prizes.  Most of the prizes are souvenir type items i.e.. key chains, hats, highlighters, etc. Also, they always give out a few bottles of wine.  One of the souvenir type prizes is a cloth ball on a string.  The CD John Blair always makes a big deal out of not knowing what in the world they are for. . . but, he includes one in most prize grouping of souvenirs. 

 

One of the winners was a little girl sitting in the front row.  John made a joke about the ball and handed a bunch of items in a hat to the little girl.  He went on to call the next number.  About a minute later the little girl brings John a bag. The ball is a reusable cloth bag with a RCL logo. [compressed into a ball]  Leave it to a child to figure it out what it is and how to open it. .  

 

John said we have 40 children on this cruise.  He says on the next cruise they will have 440.  Yikes!

 

Do you think that he was kidding, or he really didn't know?

Those shopping bags debuted on the Quantum in 2014, and all ships have had them for YEARS.

 

I love mine.  Fits in my own purse and is available as needed.  🙂  

[DragonOfTheSeas]

1 hour ago, birdylady said:

Am I correct in assuming since it takes till about midnight to go under the final bridge, that the casino is not open the first night? Or do they get some sort of 'grace period' to open before they hit international waters?
Thanx,

Erika

That is correct.  I checked the Cruise Compass to make sure. 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

12 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

Do you think that he was kidding, or he really didn't know?

Those shopping bags debuted on the Quantum in 2014, and all ships have had them for YEARS. But, you are right--he certainly should know.  

 

I love mine.  Fits in my own purse and is available as needed.  🙂  

I do not know.  He had the same comments during the M and M during our first cruise.  

 

It was a funny moment. You had to be there. 😃

Edited April 8, 2019 by DragonOfTheSeas

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Since we know there will be lots of children onboard the next cruise I thought I would include some information for children younger than the teens I posted before.  

 

The youth program with Royal Caribbean is called Adventure Ocean.  They divide the kids into Aquanauts [3-5], Explorers [6-8], and Voyagers [9-11].  If there are a small number of  children they may combine age groups.  

 

Your child MUST be 3 by the first day of the cruise and be fully potty trained to participate.  

 

 

 

 

 

The most important thing to remember is that they can only take 15 children in the 3-5 age group.  On a cruise where there are 440 children  [like the next one] not everyone may be able to participate all of the time. [Not all children in an age group will want to participate] It would be in your best interest to check your child in when it opens if you have your heart set on this. 

 

 

Edited April 8, 2019 by DragonOfTheSeas

[DragonOfTheSeas]

The older age groups have a much larger capacity--total of 50. 

 

The first image is from the general information given out the first day.  The next 2 images are for the activities on Day 3.  

[CruisinCrow]

Thanks for taking the time to post all this information!

[ShillyShally]

20 hours ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

One of the winners was a little girl sitting in the front row.  John made a joke about the ball and handed a bunch of items in a hat to the little girl.  He went on to call the next number.  About a minute later the little girl brings John a bag. The ball is a reusable cloth bag with a RCL logo. [compressed into a ball]  Leave it to a child to figure it out what it is and how to open it. .  

 

John said we have 40 children on this cruise.  He says on the next cruise they will have 440.  Yikes!

LOL LOVE it - we'll always need those younger to help us along the way 🙂

 

And that sounds like spring break next week!

[DragonOfTheSeas]

We had the Top Tier Event for this cruise this morning in the Palladium Theatre.  That was the only place to hold it.  

 

There are 1548 Crown and Anchor members on this cruise:

 

482 gold members

316 platinum members

184 emerald members

324 diamond members

214 diamond plus members

28 pinnacle members-- 2 couples were recognized at the event and we now have 32. 

 

I heard someone say the theatre was more crowded than at a show. 

 

The top cruiser had 1780 cruise points.  

 

 

 

[GarlicBread]

1 hour ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

The older age groups have a much larger capacity--total of 50. 

 

The first image is from the general information given out the first day.  The next 2 images are for the activities on Day 3.  

On vision class explorers and voyagers are always combined as they only have one room for them, and one for the aquanauts. 

So its 50 explorers and voyagers combined. Not 50 explorers and 50 vogagers.

[theknittinglibrarian]

I'm loving the review & all of the information you're sharing! 

 

Youve already covered teens & younger kids, but what about the nursery? We'll be onboard in a few months & are interested in anything you can find out - hours??

 

Hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation!